By Peter Aboki
The Sokoto State Police Command has recorded a major breakthrough in its fight against crime with the arrest of key members of an emerging criminal network known as “Sai Malam.”
Police say two suspected leaders of the group were arrested at a hideout following credible intelligence.
Items recovered include suspected fake naira, dollar and CFA currencies, a POS machine, charms, fetish materials, animal horns, a cutlass, and a red scarf believed to be the group’s identifier.
The suspects, Abdulrazak Salihu, also known as Monosa, and Habibu Sahabi, popularly called Habibi, both in their twenties, were arrested in Wamakko Local Government Area.
The group is said to rely on fetish practices and superstition to intimidate victims during criminal operations.
Briefing journalists, the Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Musa, represented by the Police Public Relations Officer, Ahmed Rufa’i, said the arrests have significantly weakened the operational capacity of the Sai Malam network across the state.
Rufa’i recalled earlier operations carried out in November and December 2025, noting that sustained intelligence-driven efforts by the command have continued to degrade the group’s activities.
In separate operations, police also dismantled a banditry and kidnapping network in Yabo and Silame Local Government Areas, arresting three suspects linked to terror, kidnapping and extortion.
The suspects were accused of collaborating to threaten residents of Tudun Bakale community with ransom demands, while another suspect arrested in Silame confessed to involvement in multiple kidnappings and receiving part of ransom payments.
The police command has assured residents that investigations are ongoing to arrest fleeing accomplices, urging members of the public to continue supporting security agencies by reporting suspicious activities, stressing that community cooperation remains key to tackling crime in Sokoto State.
