Community leader killed in Bokkos ambush in Plateau

By: Zagazola Makama

A community leader has been killed in an ambush by suspected armed militias in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday when a joint patrol team comprising military personnel, vigilantes and hunters was attacked along the Horop–Laban–Nawala feeder road, which shares boundary with Nasarawa State.

Sources confirmed that the victim, Mr. Dabit Clement Joseph, popularly known as Chepti, aged 47, who was the Youth President of Horop District, was shot dead during the ambush.

His remains have been evacuated and deposited at Luna Hospital morgue in Bokkos.

Police said investigation into the incident has commenced, with efforts underway to track down and apprehend the perpetrators.
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Bandit leader Abu Dan Barka, four fighters killed by fellow bandits in Zamfara

By: Zagazola Malama

A notorious bandit leader, Kachalla Abu Dan Barka, and four of his fighters have been killed by fellow bandits in Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

Zagazola Makama learnt that the incident occurred east of Magana Mai Rake village, near Yar Tashar Sahabi in Dansadau district of Maru.

The sources said the bandit kingpin and his fighters were ambushed and killed while moving through the area.

“Kachalla Abu Dan Barka was a well-known commander operating in Dansadau. His base was at Madada village, from where he coordinated attacks, cattle rustling, and kidnappings across Maru and adjoining LGAs,” one of the sources said.

The killing of Abu Dan Barka is seen as part of the rising wave of internal rivalries among bandit factions in Zamfara, where clashes between gangs have increased in recent months.

Zagazola noted that the Dansadau axis, long considered a major stronghold of banditry, has witnessed repeated turf wars as groups compete for dominance and control of illicit revenue streams.

While security forces have intensified operations in Zamfara and across the North West, many bandit leaders have also come under threat from internecine rivalries and betrayals within their ranks.

Zagazola is closely monitoring the trend.
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Rival gangs kill two bandit kingpins in Zamfara ambush

By: Zagazola Makama

Two notorious bandit kingpins, Kachalla Mai Hidima and Kachalla Bingil, have been killed in a violent ambush by rival gangs in Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

Zagazola Makama learnt that the incident occurred along the Mai Kogo–Mai Aya Aya axis, within the Dansadau district of Maru.

The sources said the ambush was staged by unidentified assailants, who opened fire on the kingpins and their men, killing them instantly.

“Kachalla Mai Hidima and Kachalla Bingil were caught in the ambush while moving between villages. Their deaths are believed to be linked to long-standing rivalries among bandit factions operating in the Dansadau forest,” one source explained.

Kachalla Mai Hidima, who once served under the notorious bandit leader Dogo Gide, later broke away to establish his own criminal cell. He was said to have established a major base east of Gidan Fulani Mai Kudi, near Hannu Tara in Dansadau.

The killing of the two kingpins illustrates the deepening fractures within bandit networks in Zamfara, as competing groups battle for control of territory, hostages, and illicit revenue streams such as cattle rustling and illegal levies on farming communities.

“This is part of a larger trend of internal conflicts among bandits, especially in Maru, Anka, and Shinkafi, where pressure from military operations has disrupted old alliances,” another source observed.

The Dansadau axis of Maru LGA has remained one of the most volatile hotspots in Zamfara’s banditry crisis, serving as a strategic stronghold for several armed groups over the past decade.

Rival gangs kill two bandit kingpins in Zamfara ambush