Bandits interrogate monarch over airstrikes that killed scores of fighters

Suspected bandits loyal to notorious kingpin Ado Allero abducted and interrogated Babangida Kogo, the traditional ruler of Yankuzo in Zamfara State.

The bandits accused Kogo of leaking intelligence to the military ahead of a deadly airstrike that killed over 30 fighters.

Kogo was seized on Tuesday along the Mararraba axis while fleeing violence.

Bandits questioned Kogo for hours about involvement in the airstrike; he was cleared and released without ransom on Thursday.

“There was no ransom paid. They interrogated him and found he had no connection to the attack,” a security source familiar with the incident told Zagazola Makama, a conflict researcher with close ties to intelligence operatives in the region.

The airstrike, executed by the Air Component of Operation Hadarin Daji, targeted a major gathering of armed fighters believed to be attending a celebration.

Based on credible intelligence and aerial surveillance, the raid resulted in the deaths of over 30 suspected terrorists and left several others injured.

Ado Allero, considered one of the region’s most dangerous bandit leaders, is believed to have ordered the monarch’s abduction in retaliation for the raid.

His gang has been linked to multiple deadly attacks across Zamfara and surrounding states, including a recent ambush on Nigerian troops that resulted in the death of a soldier.

For Diaspora Digital Media Updates click on Whatsapp, or Telegram. For eyewitness accounts/ reports/ articles, write to: citizenreports@diasporadigitalmedia.com. Follow us on X (Fomerly Twitter) or Facebook