When Intelligence Gets There First: IGP Disu And The Changing Fight Against Banditry

There is a moment in every security operation when the balance shifts: the moment criminals discover that the Police are already waiting for them.

That moment played out in Katsina State on September 9, 2026, when a planned kidnapping operation was disrupted in the Mararabar Dayawa Forest, Kafur Local Government Area. One armed bandit was neutralised, others fled with varying degrees of gunshot injuries, a kidnapped victim was rescued, and two motorcycles believed to belong to the criminal group were recovered.

Beyond the immediate outcome, the operation offers another glimpse into the changing approach to combating banditry under the leadership of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu.

The operation was launched at about 2:20 a.m. following credible intelligence on the movement of armed bandits. The Divisional Police Officer mobilised a VCRU tactical patrol team led by CSP Alphouse Andrew. Rather than waiting for an attack to occur, the team strategically positioned itself along the criminals’ anticipated escape route.

When the bandits arrived, they encountered the Police.

A fierce exchange of gunfire followed, resulting in one bandit being neutralised while others escaped into the surrounding bush. The area was subsequently cordoned off, leading to the rescue of 40-year-old Abubakar Al Hassan, who had earlier been abducted from Gwarzo Local Government Area of Kano State.

For the victim and his family, this was far more than an operational statistic. It was a return from captivity and a reminder of what effective policing ultimately seeks to achieve: protecting lives.

But the significance of the operation extends beyond the rescue.

For years, bandits have exploited Nigeria’s vast forests and difficult terrain to launch attacks, abduct citizens and disappear before security forces can effectively respond. Their motorcycles have further enhanced their mobility, allowing them to navigate routes that are often inaccessible to conventional patrol vehicles.

The recovery of two such motorcycles, therefore, represents more than the seizure of abandoned property. It deprives the criminal network of part of its operational mobility.

More importantly, the Katsina operation demonstrates the value of obtaining timely intelligence and converting it into decisive action.

Modern policing cannot afford to remain purely reactive. Criminal groups adapt, move across boundaries and exploit technology and terrain. Security forces must therefore anticipate threats, understand criminal patterns and position themselves ahead of attacks.

This is increasingly reflected in the operational philosophy associated with IGP Disu’s leadership.

The objective is not simply to deploy personnel after criminals have struck, but to strengthen the capacity to identify threats early and disrupt them before they cause greater harm.

In Kafur, that principle was put into practice.

The Police received information, anticipated the movement of the suspects and positioned a tactical team accordingly. The result was the disruption of a kidnapping operation, the rescue of a victim and the degradation of the criminals’ ability to continue their movement.

There is, however, a broader lesson for the country.

Intelligence-led policing cannot succeed through police efforts alone. Communities remain an essential source of information because citizens are often the first to observe unusual movements, suspicious persons or emerging threats.

The partnership between the Police and the public must therefore remain central to the fight against banditry. Information that reaches the Police early can make the difference between preventing an attack and responding to its consequences.

The Katsina incident also reminds us that the fight against banditry will not be won through a single operation. It requires sustained intelligence gathering, tactical capability, technology, inter-agency cooperation and the confidence of communities.

Yet individual successes matter because they demonstrate that criminals are not invincible. They can be detected and their plans can be disrupted. Their mobility can be curtailed and their victims can be brought home.

The deeper message from Kafur is therefore not simply that another bandit operation has failed. It is that the equation can change when the Police are able to anticipate rather than merely react.

The bandits entered the forest expecting to execute a mission. Instead, they encountered a tactical team that had already anticipated their movement.

That is what happens when intelligence gets there first.

And in the continuing battle against banditry, getting there first may increasingly determine who controls the initiative.

Akindele Adegebo
ANIPR, ACIPM
Writes from Lagos State