The Kaduna State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of a 34-year-old suspected bandit kingpin, Mati Bagio, following an intensive manhunt that spanned over a decade.
In a statement released on Thursday, the spokesperson for the command, DSP Mansir Hassan, revealed that Bagio—a resident of Unguwan Galadima in the Shika District of Giwa Local Government Area—had been on the police wanted list for 11 years. He is believed to have led a deadly criminal gang responsible for numerous attacks across communities in both Kaduna and Katsina States.
According to the police, Bagio and his gang were linked to a series of violent operations in Giwa, Hunkuyi, Faskari, Dandume, and Funtua Local Government Areas, before his eventual arrest.
“On 18th July, 2025, at about 0530 hours, acting on credible intelligence, a team of detectives led by the Officer-in-Charge of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, CSP Sani Zuntu, successfully tracked and arrested a notorious gang leader popularly known as Mati Bagio, a 34-year-old male of Unguwan Galadima in Shika District, Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State,” the statement read.
“The suspect is a notorious bandit leader who terrorised Kaduna and Katsina states along Giwa, Hunkuyi, Faskari, Dandume, and Funtua Local Government Areas. He had been on the run for the past 11 years. He was just apprehended at his residence, where a significant cache of arms and ammunition was recovered.”
The police said the arrest also led to the recovery of a substantial cache of weapons and other items, including a stolen vehicle and two motorcycles.
Recovered items include:
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 live AK-47 rounds, Ten pump-action cartridges, 87 rounds of pistol ammunition, One machete, Two torchlights, One unjamming rod.
Additionally, a stolen Toyota Prado SUV and two motorcycles were recovered from the suspect’s residence during the raid.
Authorities say investigations are ongoing, and the suspect will be charged to court upon the conclusion of the probe.
