A member of the Community Protection Guard (CPG), Zayyanu Kebbe, has been killed during a gun battle with bandits while defending his community in Kebbe Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The community security volunteer was reportedly among local defenders who confronted the armed attackers in an effort to repel the assault and protect residents. He sustained fatal injuries during the exchange of gunfire.
Details of the attack were disclosed on Thursday by a security source familiar with the incident, who confirmed that Kebbe died while fighting alongside other community defenders.
According to the source, the deceased remained on the frontline despite the danger posed by the heavily armed bandits and fought to prevent them from causing further harm to residents.
“Yesterday afternoon, we lost another courageous community defender. CPG Zayyanu Kore Kebbe paid the ultimate price while standing against bandits to protect his people.
“His sacrifice reflects the enormous risks local security volunteers face every day,” the source said.
The source noted that the incident highlights the persistent security challenges facing communities across parts of Sokoto State, where vigilante groups and Community Protection Guards often work alongside conventional security agencies to counter bandit attacks.
As of Thursday, the full circumstances surrounding the attack were still unclear, and there was no official information on whether any of the bandits were killed or arrested during the confrontation.
Residents of several communities in the state continue to depend on local security volunteers to complement the efforts of the military and other security agencies in protecting lives and property from recurring attacks by armed criminal groups.
The killing of Zayyanu Kebbe adds to the growing number of community security personnel who have lost their lives while resisting bandit attacks in Nigeria’s North-West.
As of the time of filing this report, neither security authorities nor the Sokoto State Government had issued an official statement on the incident.