BAUCHI, Nigeria — Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State said on Thursday, February 26, 2026, that more than 10,000 armed bandits were responsible for recent attacks that forced residents from several communities in Alkaleri Local Government Area to flee their homes.
Mohammed made the remarks while visiting internally displaced persons who had left the communities of Mansur, Yalau, Futuk, Duguri and Gwana following the violence.
The displaced residents are being sheltered at a government-owned educational facility in Kashere, in neighbouring Gombe State. The governor described the situation as “very bad” and said the affected communities had been overrun by about “10,000 well-armed bandits”.
He said the attackers were recruiting both local residents and outsiders, including former illegal miners.
Mohammed appealed to the Federal Government for urgent assistance and said he would seek directives from President Bola Tinubu.
“We’ll meet with the President tomorrow to get directives for the military and police to tackle the issue. We’ll use technology and other means to decimate the bandits,” he said.
He also announced plans to enlist 2,000 young people into vigilante groups to serve as trained forest guards, emphasising what he described as the need for community participation in security efforts.
The governor thanked the authorities and residents of Kashere for hosting the displaced persons and apologised for the disruption caused by their arrival.
“This is the first time we’re facing this challenge, but we’ll overcome it,” he said.
Earlier, the Bauchi State Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, said additional security personnel had been deployed to the affected areas.
“I want to assure the people that we are committed to the immediate restoration of peace and security in that environment. All strategies and arrangements have been put in place to ensure that peace and security return immediately to that axis,” Aliyu said.
He added that the police, alongside other security agencies, would ensure that no part of Bauchi State remained outside government control.
