TROOPS of the Joint Task Force Northwest Operation Hadarin Daji, have neutralised notorious bandit leader Kachallah Buzu and several of his foot soldiers in an operation in Zamfara State.
Announcing the development, President Bola Tinubu’s media aide, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, stated that the bandit commander was gunned down, on Friday morning, September 12.
“The bandit kingpin, Kachalla Halilu Sububu (pictured), was downed this morning by troops. His death adds to the increasing number of bandit-warlords cut down by security forces under this administration: Ali Kawaje, Dangote, Damina, Baleri, Modi-Modi, etc,” he wrote.
Kachalla Buzu is said to be the boss of the notorious bandit kingpin Bello Turji, one of the most wanted criminals in Nigeria, known for terrorising Northern Nigeria, especially in Zamfara State.
He is the arrowhead of killings and kidnappings around Shinkafi – Sabon Birni and Isah local government areas of Zamfara and Sokoto states.
Recent reports reveal that terrorists in the North West and parts of the North Central regions have intensified their extortion of farmers, demanding payment of levies in exchange for access to their farmlands.
Meanwhile, Buzu’s death came on the heels of the chief of defence staff (CDS) Christopher Musa’s promise to bring another bandit Kingpin Bello Turji to justice.
Musa vowed that Turji would be made to pay for his offences against humanity very soon.
The defence chief made the promise a few days after President Bola Tinubu’s directive to the military to address the killing of innocent Nigerians in Sokoto State.
Recall that the federal government on September 1 directed the minister of state for defence, Bello Matawalle, and other military chiefs to relocate to Sokoto State to intensify efforts to eliminate the menace of banditry, kidnapping, and terrorism in the Northwest region.
The government emphasised that the move was part of its strategy to combat the ongoing security challenges in the region.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: [email protected]. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M