If GOC Can Be Attacked, Farmers Are More Exposed – Kebbi ADC

The Kebbi State chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has demanded urgent explanations from the state government and members of the National Assembly following the recent ambush on the convoy of the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 8 Division of the Nigerian Army.

The Nigerian Army had disclosed that the convoy of Major General Bemgha Koughna came under heavy terrorist fire near Mayama Hill in Maiyama Local Government Area of the state.

According to the Army, troops under Operation Fansan Yamma successfully repelled the attack, neutralised five terrorists and recovered a cache of weapons, including PKT and AK-47 rifles, ammunition, motorcycles, communication devices and ₦840,000 in cash.

Naija News reports that the incident has heightened concerns over the activities of the Lakurawa group and recurring attacks on rural communities, especially in forested border areas of Kebbi State.

In a statement issued Tuesday (today) in Birnin Kebbi and signed by its State Chairman, Bala Sufiyanu, the ADC described the ambush as “sobering and alarming,” warning that it underscored the fragile security situation in the state.

“While we commend the gallantry and professionalism of the troops who repelled the attack, this incident raises fundamental questions that must not be ignored,” Sufiyanu said.

“If a serving General Officer Commanding can be ambushed in Kebbi State, then ordinary farmers in remote villages, traders on our highways and students in rural schools are even more exposed. The people deserve answers, not just reassurance.”

Questions For Gov Idris

The opposition party called on Governor Nasir Idris to provide a comprehensive security briefing to residents, detailing what the government knew about terrorist activities around the Mayama axis before the attack and what preventive intelligence measures were in place.

“What does this attack reveal about the actual security reality in Kebbi State?” the party queried.

“How much has the state spent on security in the last two fiscal years, and where is the transparent breakdown? Beyond reactive military responses, what long-term counter-terrorism framework exists?”

The ADC also directed its concerns to Kebbi’s National Assembly members, led by Senator Adamu Aliero, asking what legislative interventions and oversight actions had been taken to strengthen security operations in the state.

“Have our federal lawmakers demanded a classified security briefing after this brazen ambush? How much federal intervention funding has been secured specifically for Kebbi? At what point does silence become negligence?” Sufiyanu asked.

The party further noted that the recovery of cash and multiple motorcycles pointed to what it described as “an organised funding and mobility structure” behind the attackers.

It warned that dismantling such networks would require coordinated political, intelligence and community-based strategies.

“Security is not a slogan. It is the first duty of government,” the statement read. “Kebbi citizens deserve clarity, accountability and decisive action. The time for serious answers is now.”

Naija News reports that as of press time, the Kebbi State Government and the affected federal lawmakers had yet to formally respond to the ADC’s demands, even as residents continue to express anxiety over the spate of attacks in parts of the state.