2 Zamfara banditry kingpins, many others killed in rival clash

A notorious bandit, Bello Turji, has killed two other notorious bandits and at least 15 others in Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara State, Dullu and Dan Maigari during an attack.

The Tuesday morning battle would be the bloodiest one between the two rival camp of bandits.

The clash came after a member of the gang of a bandit kingpin on Turji’s side, Na-Sanda, was killed.

It was gathered that Turji mobilised bandits who are loyal to him, to launch a sudden attack at the hideouts of the other camp of bandits. Some of the rival camp of bandits were killed as a result.

Also killed were Dullu himself and Dan Maigari, a younger brother of Bashari Maniya.

A source from a nearby village revealed that many gunmen from Maniya were crossing the Moriki-Shinkafi Road into Sububu Forest, trying to escape from the onslaught.

“Turji also abducted some men from the area but we heard he later killed. Dullu’s corpse and some others have been abandoned at his own base.

“Turji himself is believed to have lost some men but we are not sure how many. But I have seen some of them returning with bullet wounds,” he said.

Residents in the affected areas said the armed men had launched an invasion on Gidan Inna village and some surrounding communities, rustled cows and killed some residents.

“Shortly afterward, the leaders of the local vigilantes otherwise known as Yan Sakai from at least 10 neighbouring communities started mobilising their members to chase and recover the rustled cattle from the criminals.

“Within half an hour, the vigilantes mobilised themselves and gave the rustlers a hot chase on motorbikes. However, when the armed bandits realised that they were being pursued, they divided themselves into two; one group herded the stolen animals into the bush.

“The other group then laid ambush for approaching vigilantes. They killed more than 30 on the spot largely because the criminals were more in number,” said a resident, Umar Kadowa.

A resident who witnessed the incident said he saw the vigilantes on motorcycles riding towards Gidan Dan Inna village while he was on his way to his farm.

He said, “I sensed trouble and had to come back home immediately. The remains of the slain vigilantes who were from more than 10 communities were later retrieved for burial at their respective villages.

The spokesman for the police in the state, SP Shehu Mohammed, did not respond to phone calls and a text message requesting his comment on the story.