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A notorious bandit kingpin and 100 of his suspected followers have been killed in a joint military operation in north-west Nigeria, authorities say.<\/p>\n
Gwaska Dankarami was said to have been a high-value target who reportedly served as second-in-command to an Islamic State-linked leader. <\/p>\n
The alleged gang leader had been hiding in the Munumu Forest, with authorities reporting that several other criminal hideouts were also destroyed across the state on Friday.<\/p>\n
His apparent death comes after bandits kidnapped 43 villagers and killed four others in a deadly attack on a village called Maigora in the northern Katsina State earlier this week.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The police had said that it deployed security forces in pursuit of the kidnappers.<\/p>\n
However, this is not the first time Dankarami’s death has been reported. <\/p>\n
In 2022, the Nigerian Airforce claimed to have killed him in a similar operation.<\/p>\n
The Katsina State commissioner for internal security and home affairs, Nasir Mua’zu, said the killing was a significant milestone in the fight against banditry in the state.<\/p>\n
“It is expedient to state that this successful mission has significantly disrupted the criminal networks that have long terrorised communities across Faskari, Kankara, Bakori, Malumfashi, and Kafur,” Mua’zu added.<\/p>\n
Security forces said they had also recovered and destroyed two machine guns and locally fabricated shotguns.<\/p>\n
In a separate operation on Thursday, security forces killed six bandits, including their commander, while several other bandits escaped with bullet wounds. <\/p>\n
Seven motorcycles were also intercepted and recovered during the intelligence-led operation.<\/p>\n
Katsina, the home state of former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, has witnessed sporadic attacks by bandits and kidnappers that have claimed many lives.<\/p>\n
The state governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, has expressed the government’s determination to eliminate criminals and ensure every forest is thoroughly monitored to protect residents.<\/p>\n
The authorities said that the operations are part of a broader effort to restore stability in the state and the north-west region of Nigeria, which has witnessed repeated banditry attacks.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n