At least eight suspected bandits loyal to notorious leader Dogo Gide were killed on Friday night in Niger State when an IED they reportedly planted for security forces detonated prematurely under their own motorcycles
A botched ambush by armed insurgents in Niger State resulted in the instant death of at least eight suspected bandits on the night of Friday, March 20, 2026. According to security expert Zagazola Makama, the incident occurred around 8:30 p.m. along the Lukope Road in the Shiroro Local Government Area.
The bandits, identified as loyalists of the notorious kingpin Dogo Gide, were reportedly transiting the Kurebe–Kushaka axis on motorcycles when they inadvertently rode over an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) that their own group had previously planted to target advancing government troops.
The explosion decimated the transit team, causing immediate fatalities and leaving several other fighters with critical injuries.
“The explosion occurred as the bandits were transiting the route, leading to the instant death of about eight of them and the injury of several others,” a security source confirmed. Following the blast, troops from Operation Fansan Yamma, Sector 1, were deployed to the scene to secure the corridor and conduct mop-up operations.
The military has since intensified patrols within the forest belt to disrupt any remaining insurgent cells attempting to regroup in the aftermath of the self-inflicted loss.
While the accidental detonation has temporarily thinned the ranks of the Dogo Gide faction, the event has triggered widespread panic across local communities. Residents of Kushaka, Kurebe, and Gbato are reportedly living in fear of reprisal attacks, as bandits often vent their frustrations on nearby villages following military setbacks or internal accidents.
Security forces remain on high alert in the Lukope area to forestall any retaliatory violence against civilians, as the Kurebe–Kushaka axis remains a highly volatile corridor for armed groups operating in the region.