Key points

• Kebbi’s security adviser says Sai Malam members practice blood sacrifice rituals among themselves
• Security forces dislodged the group from Zuru Emirate but later spotted them again in Argungu
• The IGP urged police to profile the group immediately before it gains a wider foothold

The Kebbi State Government has raised the alarm over a new terror group called Sai Malam, warning that the sect has already resurfaced in multiple locations across the state despite earlier security action against it.

Col. Hassan Riba (retd), Special Adviser to the Governor on Security and Home Affairs, disclosed the threat during a stakeholders’ meeting with Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, who was represented by Deputy Inspector-General Sulaiman Abdul, in Birnin Kebbi on Wednesday.

Group resurfaces in Argungu after Zuru crackdown

Riba told the gathering that security agencies first discovered Sai Malam in the Zuru Emirate and moved to dislodge its members. However, the group has since reappeared in Argungu, raising fresh concerns about its reach and recruitment capacity.

“We have one pressing issue now, which is the emergence of another terror group called Sai Malam,” Riba said. “We dislodged them in Zuru when we discovered them, but I recently saw them again in Argungu. They use blood for sacrifices among their members.”

He called on police leadership to treat the sect as an urgent threat and act decisively before it establishes a broader network. He also noted that traditional rulers and community leaders hold a critical role in early detection and community-level intelligence gathering.

Riba added that the state government has continued to support federal security efforts by supplying vehicles, motorcycles and logistics to agencies operating in the region. Mobile police personnel have also been deployed to Danko-Wasagu Local Government Area to counter bandit infiltration along vulnerable corridors.

IGP orders immediate profiling as riverine routes come under scrutiny

Responding to the disclosure, the IGP directed security agencies to begin profiling Sai Malam immediately. Through his representative, Egbetokun stressed the need to strengthen surveillance across waterways and riverine communities, which criminals increasingly use to move weapons across state boundaries.

“The Kebbi Command must immediately re-engineer its operational strategies to reflect robust regional and federal synergy,” Abdul said, adding that riverine patrols must be combined with direct intelligence partnerships involving fishing communities, transport unions and traditional institutions.

The IGP further directed tactical teams to maintain constant communication with neighboring commands to prevent criminals from exploiting jurisdictional gaps. He also urged traditional rulers and district heads to share credible information with security agencies without hesitation.

Governor Nasir Idris, represented by Permanent Secretary Kabir Adamu, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to collaboration, intelligence sharing and community involvement as pillars of its security strategy.