In a surprising turn of events, wanted bandit leader, Bello Turji has called for a negotiated surrender, a move reportedly prompted by the recent decapitation of many of his allies, including at least 76 bandit commanders and kidnapping ring leaders.
This development has left bandit leaders and troublemakers reeling, as they face intensified pressure from government forces.
According to Vanguard, the call for surrender initiated by Turji, comes on the heels of significant losses within Turji’s ranks, particularly following the restructuring of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the Department of State Services (DSS).
Reliable sources who spoke with the platform indicated that the elimination of key associates has severely weakened the bandits’ operational capabilities, pushing them to reconsider their strategies.
This shift in the bandit landscape can be traced back to August 26, 2024, when President Bola Tinubu appointed Mr. Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi and Mr. Mohammed Mohammed as the Directors-General of the DSS and NIA, respectively.
Their leadership has been marked by aggressive actions against criminal elements in the North West and North Central regions, leading to the arrest and elimination of numerous bandit commanders.
In addition to the losses of high-profile bandit figures, security forces have successfully disrupted critical communication networks and seized significant caches of arms.
These operations have left bandits in disarray, with sources indicating that the renewed offensive is making substantial inroads into their territories.
An anonymous insider, involved in the current campaign against banditry, expressed confidence that the sustained pressure on bandit groups will continue to yield results.
One source revealed that the appointment of Mr Ajayi who was until his appointment the most senior director of the DSS and who operated as state director in Kogi State has optimised the intelligence resources of the secret agency to turn the war against the bandits.
Noting how the innovations brought about by Mr Ajayi has put the bandits on the run, the source said, “Mr. Ajayi initiated a psychological-led operations against bandits and kidnappers which resulted to the neutralization of some notorious banditry kingpins, including Kachalla Lawali Dodo, Kachalla All Dan Oga, Kachalla Black and Kachalla Sani Kwalba.
The source added that, in one of the recent series of coordinated operations by the secret Police in Kaduna State, a notorious arms supplier to bandits and terrorists known as Mallam Rabo Abdulkadir was arrested with 3 AK-47 rifles, 1 AR Galil rifle, 1,621 rounds of 7.62 x 39mm, 222 round of 5.56 x 45mm, 138 rounds of 7.62 x 51mm, 6 AK-47 rifle magazines and 1 AR rifle magazine, among others.
In the North Central Zone, particularly in Kogi State where Mr. Ajayi last served before his appointment as DG DSS, the Camps of some major terrorists’ kingpins, including Kachalla Bala and Kachalla Shuaibu, terrorizing Kogi, Kaduna, Niger, Kwara and Nasarawa States, as well as the FCT, were raided and dismantled, a source disclosed.
The source added that, during the raid 3 foot soldiers of Kachalla Bala were neutralized, while 11 others were captured, alongside the group’s major logistics supplier/informant identified as Baba Gurgu. It was further gathered that, some kidnap kingpins and gunrunners were also arrested in the FCT, as well as Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger and Plateau States.
They include, Isah Adavuruku, Malik Otaru, Mohammed Usman, Usman Iliya, Lawal Shaibu, Umar Musa Keana, Dauda Gongola Keana and Anas BELLO, who masterminded the recent ambush of soldiers and vigilantes in Kabba/Bunu LGA of Kogi State. Another source revealed that, in the North East zone, 5 members of a daredevil kidnap syndicate, including Salisu Nasiru, Lamiya Bisala and Manuga Sunday were arrested on 30th August, 2024 in Donga LGA of Taraba State, with 3 AK-47 rifles, 61 rounds of 7.62x39mm (special) ammunition, 2 fabricated AK-47 rifles, 2 single barrel guns and 5 AK-47 magazines, among others.
Likewise, one of the arms dealers supplying weapons to militia in Plateau State known simply as Friday Gomna Isaac was arrested in Borno State, while conveying weapons to Jos, Plateau State. In the South East Zone, source disclosed that, a notorious Commander of the outlawed IPOB, Mathias Onyebuchi, who masterminded the attack on a Police checkpoint on the outskirts of Enugu, that claimed the lives of 2 policemen, while 3 AK-47 rifles were carted away was arrested.
The South-South and South West zones are not left out in these coordinated operations, as 2 members of a militant and sea piracy syndicate terrorizing Akwa Ibom and its neighbouring States, Daniel Etim David and Uwem Asuquo Edet were arrested. This is in addition to other arrests in Rivers, Lagos and Oyo States, another source disclosed.
