The Kaduna State Police Command on Friday announced the arrest of a notorious bandit leader, Mati Bagio, who had evaded capture for more than a decade.
Bagio was arrested alongside three suspected motorcycle thieves during coordinated operations across the state.
According to the command, several items were recovered during the operations, including a cache of sophisticated firearms, ammunition, a stolen Toyota Prado SUV, and two motorcycles.
Bagio, 34, a resident of Unguwan Galadima in Shika District, Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State, was said to have led a gang that terrorized communities in both Kaduna and Katsina states for years.
In a statement, the Police Public Relations Officer for the state, Mansir Hassan, said the arrest was carried out by detectives from the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, led by CSP Sani Zuntu, following credible intelligence.
He disclosed that Bagio had been on the police wanted list for 11 years for his alleged involvement in a series of violent attacks in Giwa, Hunkuyi, Faskari, Dandume, and Funtua Local Government Areas spanning the two states.
“On July 18, 2025, at about 5:30 a.m., acting on credible intelligence, a team of detectives led by CSP Sani Zuntu tracked and arrested the notorious gang leader, Mati Bagio, at his residence in Unguwan Galadima,” Hassan stated.
A significant cache of weapons was recovered at the scene, including: One AK-47 rifle, One fabricated AK-47 rifle,One pump-action gun, two English pistols, two AK-47 magazines, two LAR rifle magazines, four fabricated AK-47 butts, four AK-47 live rounds, ten pump-action cartridges, 87 rounds of pistol ammunition, one machete, two torchlights, one unjamming rod.
“The arrest of this long-sought bandit marks a major milestone in our efforts to rid Kaduna of armed criminals and curb the proliferation of illegal weapons,” Hassan said.
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He noted that Bagio remains in custody while investigations are ongoing, with efforts intensified to track down other fleeing members of his gang.
