Sai Mallam: Kebbi Police Open Up On New Terrorist Group

The Kebbi State Police Command has dismissed reports alleging the existence of a terrorist group known as “Sai Mallam” operating in parts of the state.

The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bashir Usman, made the clarification in a statement issued on Monday in Birnin Kebbi.

Usman said investigations carried out by the command revealed that the reports were linked to the activities of a cybercrime syndicate involved in online fraud, blackmail and extortion.

According to him, no terrorist group known as “Sai Mallam” exists in Kebbi State.

The police spokesperson said the confusion arose from the activities of a cybercrime syndicate locally known as “Yan Vocal,” operating mainly in Argungu Local Government Area.

He said members of the group, mostly youths between the ages of 19 and 24, specialised in hacking social media accounts, creating fake identities and using threats to extort unsuspecting victims.

“The syndicate targets political office holders, traditional and religious leaders, business owners, and other prominent personalities within and outside Nigeria,” Usman said.

He added that the suspects allegedly used video-editing applications and pre-recorded nude videos to deceive victims into believing they were in live video conversations with women.

The victims were then allegedly threatened with public exposure unless they paid money or met other demands.

Usman said intelligence-led operations carried out between June 26 and June 29 led to the arrest of 13 suspected members of the syndicate.

He identified some of the suspects as Ahmed Nasir, Rabiu Sani, Sadiq Umar and Umar Nasir, all of Argungu, who allegedly conspired to obtain nude images of a female victim and demanded 1 million naira from her under threat of exposure.

He added that Faisal Muhammed and Abbas Baraye were arrested over alleged online extortion using nude photographs.

According to him, Abdullahi Abubakar, Abdulhamid Mukhtar and Al’amin Aminu allegedly defrauded a victim of 3 million naira after manipulating a video to falsely portray the victim in a live call with a naked woman.

“Similarly, Haliru Bashar, Abubakar Faruk, Almustapha Munnir, and Saifullahi Nata’ala were alleged to have obtained a nude video of a female acquaintance through a sex-related Snapchat group and threatened to release it for personal gain,” Usman said.

The police clarification followed an earlier alarm raised by the Kebbi State Government over the alleged presence of a terror-linked sect called “Sai Malam” in Argungu Local Government Area.

Speaking at a town hall meeting between the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the North-West, DIG Suleiman Muhammad Abdul, and security stakeholders in Birnin Kebbi, the State Security Adviser, retired Colonel Danladi Ribah, said the group was first detected in Sokoto State before allegedly spreading to Kebbi.

“Without an iota of doubt, Sai Malam adherents are present in large numbers in Argungu. They were earlier detected in Zuru, but in smaller numbers,” Ribah had said.