"Majority of Bandits Neutralised, Only Few Scattered Elements Remain"— Defence Minister,Matawalle.

The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has stated that most b+ndit leaders and their followers have been neutralised, noting that only a few scattered elements remain. He added that President Bola Tinubu has directed Operation FANSAN YAMMA troops to eliminate the remaining bandits in the North-West.

SaharaReporters previously reported that the Kebbi State Police confirmed the abduction of at least 25 students from the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, Danko/Wasagu LGA, on Monday morning.

The attack by heavily armed bandits resulted in the d+ath of one staff member and injury to another, CSP Nafi’u Abubakar Kotarkoshi said. The incident reportedly occurred around 4am, with assailants engaging police officers in a gun battle.

Matawalle made his remarks during a visit to the Theatre Command Headquarters, following Juma’at prayers at the Command Mosque.

According to his Director of Information, Ibrahim Sule, he conveyed President Tinubu’s appreciation for the troops’ courage, patriotism, and achievements in dismantling bandit formations across the Northwest.

He told the soldiers: “Most key bandit leaders and their foot soldiers have been neutralised through your gallant effort. What remains now are scattered elements, and the Commander-in-Chief has directed that these must be completely eliminated. You have every support needed logistics, equipment, welfare, and morale to finish the job.”

Matawalle was received by Theatre Commander Maj. Gen. Warrah Bello Idris, who briefed him on recent operations, including neutralising high-value targets and reclaiming communities previously under bandit control. The minister praised the troops’ resilience, calling their sacrifices the foundation for peace returning to Zamfara and neighbouring states.

Addressing officers and soldiers, Matawalle urged sustained vigilance and discipline, assuring them that total victory was near. “Your sacrifices will never be in vain. The President, the nation, and soon the people of this region will sleep peacefully,” he declared.

Fulani Bandit Leaders commit to Lasting Peace after Dialogue with Charanci and Batagarawa Communities.

The local governments of Charanci and Batagarawa in Katsina State have joined their counterparts in engaging in a peace dialogue with armed Fulani groups residing in the forests.

The peace meeting, which took place on Saturday, November 8, 2025, was held in Wurma town of Kurfi Local Government Area in Katsina State.

According to a report gathered by Zagazola via Militainment News, the meeting was attended by the Chairman of Batagarawa Local Government, Hon. Yahaya Lawal Kawo, representatives from Charanci Local Government, traditional rulers, and delegates of the forest-based Fulani community.

The dialogue session reportedly ended on a positive note, as representatives of the Fulani groups pledged to embrace lasting peace and coexist peacefully with neighboring communities.

Police Disclose Identities of Imam, Worshippers Killed in Zamfara Mosque.

Tragedy struck in Zamfara State on Friday when gunmen stormed a mosque in Yantodon Daji village, Tsafe Local Government Area, killing the Imam and four worshippers during morning prayers.

Three other people were abducted in the raid.

The State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Maikaba, who confirmed the incident, said the attackers deliberately targeted the mosque to provoke public outrage.

“We believe the bandits deployed this method just to draw attention. They have seen the reaction when a mosque was attacked in Malumfashi, Katsina State, and that is why they carried out a similar act here in Zamfara,” Maikaba told journalists.

According to him, the armed men opened fire indiscriminately on worshippers, killing five people before whisking away three others to an unknown destination.

Those killed were identified as:
Sale Dangero, 75
Mamman Yaro, 72
Malam Lawali Bataribas, 67
Malam Jafaru, a retired ASP, 68
Malam Safiyanu, 55

The abducted victims were named as Danyaye Alh. Gambo, Malam Basiru, and Ibrahim Bello.

Maikaba added that preliminary investigations traced the assault to a notorious bandit leader, Bakin Malam, and his loyalists operating around the Makera axis.

He assured residents that security operatives were already on the trail of the attackers and vowed that those responsible would be brought to justice

JUST IN: Nigeria’s wanted bandit kingpin accepts peace deal in katsina

A notorious bandit leader, Isiya Kwashen Garwa, who was declared wanted by the Defence Headquarters, was among top bandits who reportedly accepted a peace deal in Katsina State.

Bandit Leader Allegedly Behind Killing Of Over 30 In Katsina Mosque Attack Attends Peace Meeting In Faskari |fintter

Bandit Leader Linked to Katsina Mosque Massacre Spotted at Peace Meeting in Faskari

September 15, 2025

Barely days after allegedly orchestrating the massacre of 32 worshippers at Mantau Mosque in Malumfashi Local Government Area, notorious bandit leader Babaro was seen on Sunday at a peace meeting in Faskari, Katsina State.

The dialogue, convened to ease tensions between armed herders and farming communities, brought together traditional rulers, security representatives, community leaders, and herder group leaders.

Security analyst Zagazola Makama revealed on X that Babaro—long on security watchlists for kidnappings, extortion, and deadly raids—was among those in attendance, raising serious concerns over impunity and governance failures.

For years, Babaro has terrorised communities in Kankara and Malumfashi, leaving trails of abductions, killings, and destruction. His open presence at a high-level forum has sparked outrage among locals still grieving the recent mosque massacre.

Peace meetings of this nature have become common across the northwest, where banditry and farmer-herder violence have displaced thousands. Supporters see dialogue as a path to stability, but critics argue it legitimises violent actors and undermines justice.

As of Sunday night, the Katsina State Government had not commented on reports of Babaro—and other wanted bandit leaders—attending the meeting. For many residents, the development has deepened fears that victims of the massacre may never see justice.

Empower Me and I’ll End Banditry in 2 Months-Gov. Dauda Lawal to FG.

Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal, has thrown a big challenge to the federal government. He has sensationally declared that banditry would be a thing of the past if the federal government gives him direct and complete control of security agencies in the country.

He’s not done. He also declared categorically that he knows the movement of every single bandit leader operating in Zamfara State as he can track them on his mobile phone!

But in a viral video that has sent social media buzzing, the governor lamented that he is seriously handicapped in the fight against banditry in the state because he lacks direct control over security agencies and outfits operating in Zamfara.

The governor lamented that the situation where security chiefs in the state only take orders from Abuja could be counter-productive.

“We have dozens of tracking facilities which we fixed across the state just to help security in tracking the bandits.,’ he disclosed.

“I swear to Almighty Allah, wherever a bandits’ leader is located within Zamfara state, I know it and if he goes out, I know,

“With my mobile phone, I can show you where and where these bandits are today. But we cannot do anything beyond our powers.

“If today, I have the power to give orders to the security agencies, I can assure you, we will end banditry in Zamfara State within two months.

BREAKING: Seven Killed, Eight Injured In Southern Kaduna Terror Attack Despite Peace Pact

At least seven people, mostly minors, were killed and eight others injured in a late-night terrorist attack on Angwan Rimi community, Kauru LGA of Southern Kaduna.

Community leader Iliya Tata confirmed that heavily armed attackers struck between Sunday night and early Monday, leaving children as young as one year old among the victims. Survivors sustained gunshot wounds and machete cuts.

The Irigwe Development Association condemned the killings, calling on security agencies and government authorities to act swiftly to protect communities.

The attack comes despite Kaduna State’s peace pact with bandit leaders under the new “Kaduna Model” initiative, which has seen some warlords lay down arms. Critics, however, have warned that the deal lacks transparency and excludes victims’ voices.

#Kaduna #Nigeria #TerrorAttack #BreakingNews

Former gubernatorial candidate escapes assassination in Abuja.

A former gubernatorial candidate in Zamfara State, Sani Shinkafi on Friday escaped an attempted assassination in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city.

Shinkafi, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress said the attack happened shortly after the Juma’at prayers on Friday, August 15.

He said he was on his way home when some masked assailants blocked his vehicle with an unmarked Prado jeep.

According to him, the assailants who seemed fierce were heavily armed and dressed in black.

Attributing the attempted attack on his life to his bold and patriotic stance on issues of governance and the growing insecurity in Zamfara, Shinkafi said he will not be intimidated by anyone or group.

Shinkafi has also been a strong critic of criminal elements including the notorious bandit leader, Bello Turji.

He said, “This was an unprovoked attempt on my life but I will not be deterred by intimidation or harassment in the quest for national security, peace, unity, and social development.”

He also disclosed that his Abuja residence has in the past week received several threat calls from unknown numbers.

Stating that he believes these calls are connected to the attack, the former guber candidate appealed to the Inspector General of Police and the Director General of the Department of State Services to as a matter of urgency investigate the incident.

Inside Bello Turji’s Latest ‘Peace’ Deal With Zamfara
Notorious bandit leader Bello Turji has struck another truce with Nigerian authorities after weeks of deadly clashes in Zamfara State. The deal, brokered by Muslim clerics, saw Turji agree to halt raids, kidnappings, and cattle theft in exchange for an end to vigilante attacks on his Fulani kinsmen. He also released 32 captives and surrendered some weapons.

While farming has resumed near his stronghold, security experts warn the accord may be a temporary “survival strategy,” as past deals with Turji and other bandits have collapsed. Underlying issues — poverty, herder-farmer tensions, and the profitability of banditry — remain unresolved.

#ZamfaraCrisis #BelloTurji #NigeriaSecurity #Banditry

Zamfara monarch kidnapped after deadly airstrike kills dozens of bandits.

Armed bandits have kidnapped the traditional ruler of Yankuzo, Alhaji Babangida Kogo, in Zamfara State, just hours after a deadly Nigerian Air Force (NAF) strike killed many bandits in the same area.

The monarch was reportedly abducted on Tuesday evening near the Mararraba area in Tsafe Local Government. Sources say he was trying to flee the community due to fears that surviving bandits might retaliate.

Eyewitnesses told Zagazola Makama that a large group of armed men on more than 10 motorcycles ambushed the monarch and his escort near the abandoned farmland of the late Alhaji Malami Yandoto.

The attackers seized the royal father and left the others behind.

This incident happened shortly after the NAF’s air component under Operation Hadarin Daji carried out a precision strike on a bandit gathering in the forest between Yankuzo and Munhaye.

Intelligence had revealed that dozens of fighters, likely gathered for a wedding or celebration, were assembling in the area.

According to military sources, the strike killed many of the armed men and left others badly injured.

It is believed that the gathering involved fighters loyal to infamous bandit leaders operating along the Tsafe, Zurmi corridor, with some reportedly coming from forests in Katsina and Sokoto states.

Give us gold or face attacks – Bandit leader to Zamfara mining communities.

A notorious bandit leader, identified as Sani Black, has reportedly demanded 150 kilogrammes of pure gold from four communities in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State as a “protection levy.”

The affected communities, Dada, Gidan Shaho, Marmaro, and Rimni, were issued the ultimatum in what marks a shift from the usual demands for cash or livestock.

Local sources suggest the demand may be linked to the residents’ alleged involvement in illegal gold mining, which has increasingly attracted the attention of armed groups seeking alternative revenue sources.

A youth leader, who spoke anonymously for security reasons, said the demand likely stems from the belief that many locals are engaged in mining. “He believes several of them have access to gold,” the source said.

Another resident added, “The terrorists know we no longer have money or animals to give them, so they’re asking for gold, which they believe we can provide.”

For over a decade, Zamfara and other parts of Nigeria’s northwest have faced persistent insecurity, with armed groups carrying out killings, abductions, and extortion. Some factions have seized control of mining sites to exploit gold directly.

Residents in the affected communities are reportedly discussing how to either gather the gold or negotiate a reduction in the quantity demanded.

News Brief: Boko Haram, Banditry Decline Under Tinubu – NSA Ribadu.

National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu says Boko Haram attacks, banditry, and communal violence have significantly reduced in the last two years under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Speaking at a northern leaders’ meeting in Kaduna, Ribadu credited the decline to a unified security strategy directed by the president. He revealed that over 11,000 hostages have been rescued, and major bandit leaders neutralised in states like Zamfara, Kaduna, and Katsina.

Ribadu contrasted this with the previous administration, during which over 5,000 people were killed in Benue and more than 3,300 kidnapped in Kaduna.

The event, organised by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, reviewed the government’s performance in addressing insecurity and other challenges in the North.

#NorthernSecurity #RibaduReport #TinubuAdministration #NigeriaSafety

Bandits move freely around our village,often in broad daylight,as if there is no government-Resident.

About three months ago, armed bandits attacked Kaura Namoda town and Banga village in Zamfara State’s Kaura Namoda Local Government Area, abducting over 50 people, mostly women and children.

According to Daily Trust, the assault was allegedly led by a notorious bandit leader, Dan Sadiya, who is believed to control the area.

Residents reported that the attackers, armed and riding motorbikes, stormed the community at night, conducted house-to-house searches, and abducted victims while looting food and other items. Men reportedly fled into the bush, leaving women and children vulnerable to capture.

Initially, the abductors demanded a ransom of N150 million but later reduced it to N50 million after negotiations. Families of the victims were said to have sold livestock, farm produce, and sought financial help from relatives in cities like Gusau, Kano, Kaduna, and Abuja to meet the demand.

Despite receiving the N50 million, the bandits released only 18 hostages after nearly three months in captivity. Reports indicated that the remaining 38 were killed, with relatives of the victims stating that many were brutally tortured and slaughtered.

Residents of Kaura Namoda have expressed growing concern over the escalating banditry in the area, describing the security situation as increasingly alarming.

One resident, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that bandits now move freely through villages, heavily armed and operating without any resistance, suggesting a complete breakdown of law enforcement in the region.

“The bandits move freely around our villages, often in broad daylight, carrying dangerous weapons. It’s as if there’s no government presence at all,” he said.

He voiced frustration over the ineffectiveness of military deployments in nearby areas such as Dogon Kebe in Dan Isa and Bungudu Local Government Area. According to him, despite the presence of soldiers, bandit attacks had persisted without restraint, often occurring in broad daylight.

Kaduna Police Arrest Suspected Bandits After 11-Years Manhunt.

The Kaduna State Police Command on Friday announced the arrest of a notorious bandit leader who had been on the run for over a decade, alongside three suspected motorcycle thieves across the state.

The command said it recovered a cache of sophisticated firearms, ammunition, a stolen Toyota Prado SUV and two motorcycles during its recent operations.

The arrested bandit identified as Mati Bagio, a 34-year-old resident of Unguwan Galadima in Shika District, Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State, was said to have led a criminal gang that terrorised communities across Kaduna and Katsina States for years.

In a statement, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mansir Hassan, said Bagio was apprehended by detectives attached to the Anti-Kidnapping Unit led by CSP Sani Zuntu following credible intelligence.

He said Bagio had been on the police wanted list for 11 years for alleged involvement in multiple attacks in Giwa, Hunkuyi, Faskari, Dandume, and Funtua Local Government Areas spanning both Kaduna and Katsina States.

According to Hassan, the suspect was arrested at his residence where police operatives recovered a significant cache of arms and ammunition.

“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 34-year-old male of Unguwan Galadima of Shika district, Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

“The suspect, is a notorious bandit leader who terrorized Kaduna and Katsina states along Giwa, Hunkuyi, faskari, Dandume and Funtua local governments Areas, he has been on the run for the past eleven years, he was just apprehended at his residence, where a significant cache of arms and ammunition was recovered,” he added.
Items recovered from the suspect, he said, 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 AK-47 live ammunition rounds; ten pump-action cartridges; eighty-seven roundsof pistol ammunition; one machete; two torchlights; one unjamming rod.

Notorious bandit, Bello Turji, releases new video claiming peace negotiations with govt has started.

Nigeria’s most wanted bandit kingpin, Bello Turji, has stirred a fresh controversy after he released a video claiming that peace negotiations between him and both federal and state governments have commenced.

In the video footage shared on social media platforms on Wednesday, the notorious terrorist confirmed that negotiations were ongoing between him and authorities as a way of ending his murderous activities and bringing peace to the troubled North West where he had held sway and become a terror.

He described past attacks attributed to him as the result of mere misunderstandings and emphasized that he remains a citizen of the region, committed to finding a peaceful path forward.

However, security experts believe his recent moves of seeking peace maybe calculated attempts at softening the grounds in preparation for more attacks.


One of such experts who are skeptical of Turji’s peace moves is counter-insurgency expert, Zagazola Makama, who believes the terrorist’s moves are nothing but a ruse.

In a post he shared on his X handle on Thursday, Makama doubted Turji’s true intentions, believing he is only reaching out for peace because he knows his days are numbered following the killings of his trusted allies including his right hand man and cousin, Yellow Danbokolo, another notorious bandit leader who was killed in a shootout between his gang and Shinkafi Volunteer Forces in Zamfara State.

“A new video released by notorious bandit leader Bello Turji has once again stirred public discourse, especially in the North West where he has long been a central figure in the region’s spiraling insecurity,” Makama wrote.

The Sokoto State Government has called on notorious bandit leader, Bello Turji, to demonstrate genuine commitment to peace by releasing all kidnapped victims and halting attacks on rural communities.

Notorious bandit, Bello Turji, one of the most feared bandit leaders, is reportedly reaching out for dialogue, a few days after losing his most trusted ally in battle.

BANDITS LEADER, TURJI KILLS 44 SECURITY OPERATIVES, BURNS MILITARY TRUCK IN ZAMFARA.

Notorious bandit leader Bello Turji has reportedly killed no fewer than 44 security operatives, including 40 members of the Joint Task Force (JTF) and four soldiers, in a deadly ambush near Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

The attack was revealed in a post by security analyst Bakatsine on X on Tuesday.

According to Bakatsine, the insurgents also set fire to a military vehicle during the assault.

“Bello Turji reportedly killed 40 JTF members and four soldiers near Shinkafi LGA, Zamfara State, burning a military vehicle,” Bakatsine wrote.

Turji also released a video showing the execution of ex-bandit Bashari Maniya, accusing him of helping security forces after abandoning banditry.

Authorities are yet to officially confirm the incident at the time of filing this report.

Bandit Leader Ado Aliero Warns Nigerian Govt: Stop Calling Us Terrorists If You Want Peace.