Zamfara: Bandits Retaliate Over Kingpins’ Killings, Abduct 60, Kill 2 in Deadly Attack

Bandits have intensified their attacks on communities in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State, killing two residents and abducting over 60 people in what locals believe is retaliation for the killing of several key gang leaders by security operatives. The recent wave of violence follows the death of Kachalla Yellow, also known as Dan Isuhu, a notorious warlord reportedly killed two weeks ago during a botched ambush attempt on members of the Zamfara State Community Protection Guards in Keta. He was killed alongside his nephew, the son of another infamous kingpin, Adamu Aliero.

The fallout from these deaths has triggered a string of violent reprisals. On Sunday, bandits attacked Gidan Arne village, shooting three people. Two died on the spot while one remains in critical condition. During the same assault, about 40 women were reportedly abducted and several houses set ablaze. On the same day, another group of assailants struck Keta community, killing one person, torching 11 vehicles, and looting multiple shops.

A community leader, speaking anonymously, confirmed further attacks in Yan Doton Daji and Unguwan Chida, where 21 individuals were abducted. He cited the dense forests around Tsafe as a major factor enabling the criminals, noting that figures like Adamu Aliero and Dogo Gide are known to use the area as a stronghold.

Zamfara State has long been plagued by deadly banditry, with rural communities often facing killings, kidnappings, and extortion. In some cases, residents are forced to pay levies to bandits to access their farmlands. Those who refuse or fail to pay have faced brutal consequences, including attacks and the destruction of property.

The recent violence adds to a grim timeline of clashes between security forces and criminal gangs. Last month, six operatives of the Zamfara State Community Protection Guards and four local vigilantes were ambushed and killed. In October 2024, nine operatives were similarly ambushed and killed near Tsafe. Around the same time, the Director General of the state community guards, retired General Lawal B. Muhammad, narrowly survived an attack along the Funtua-Tsafe road. In February 2024, dozens of worshippers were abducted during an assault on a mosque in the area.

A local leader explained that these fresh attacks are revenge-driven, saying, “Security operatives have recorded successes, especially in the forests, killing leaders like Isuhu Yellow. The ongoing attacks are clearly retaliation by Aliero’s men.”

Efforts to reach Zamfara’s Commissioner for Internal Security, retired Captain Bala Mairiga, and Police PRO DSP Yazid Abubakar, for official comments were unsuccessful.

In neighbouring Sokoto State, suspected members of the Lakurawa armed group killed two fishermen and a farmer in Sanyinna village, Tangaza LGA. The attackers, riding motorcycles from a nearby forest, ambushed the victims during their daily fishing activities. The attack came a day after similar assaults in nearby Sutti and Takkau villages, where two people were injured and livestock was stolen. Local authorities confirmed the incident, and police say efforts are underway to apprehend the culprits.

Meanwhile, Kebbi State witnessed violence early Tuesday when gunmen invaded an off-campus student hostel of the Federal University Birnin Kebbi. The attackers abducted a 23-year-old Economics student, Augustine Madubiya, and killed a herder, Malam Siddi Hussaini, who tried to intervene. A second student escaped. Authorities say the kidnappers demanded money and assaulted the students before fleeing with Madubiya. The state government has mobilised security forces and launched a joint operation to rescue the victim, according to officials.