GUSAU, Nigeria — Operatives from the Zamfara State Police Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) have arrested a suspected notorious bandit leader and his top lieutenants during a tactical raid in the Kaura Namoda Local Government Area.
The suspected gang leader, identified as Ali Bahago Danakulu, was taken into custody alongside key members of his criminal network following a coordinated operation based on actionable intelligence.
The state police command confirmed that the criminal syndicate had long been on its official watchlist for orchestrating a wave of violent crimes, armed robberies, and banditry attacks against the residents of Kasuwan Daji and its neighbouring communities.
Gunbattle and Arrests
The Police Public Relations Officer for the Zamfara Command, DSP Yazid Abubakar, stated that tactical operatives successfully infiltrated the gang’s operational base after receiving credible reports on their whereabouts.
During the high-stakes interdiction operation, a firefight ensued between security forces and the armed gang, resulting in the following outcomes:
- Neutralised: One active member of the bandit syndicate was fatally wounded and neutralised during the exchange of gunfire.
- Arrested: Three key suspects were successfully apprehended and taken into secure custody.
- Identity of Suspects: The police identified the detained men as the gang leader, Ali Bahago Danakulu of Kasuwan Daji; Hassan Dan Kure, also a resident of Kasuwan Daji; and Dahiru Lawali, from the Gidan Ango area.
Preliminary police briefings indicate that Danakulu directly led the armed cell and has been ballistically and forensically linked to multiple deadly raids across the local government axis.
Cache of Illicit Weapons Recovered
Following the clearing of the camp, police search teams recovered a significant cache of combat weapons, ammunition, and logistics assets used by the network to launch attacks.
The confiscated items include:
- Firearms: One pump-action gun, one single-barrel shotgun, a locally fabricated G3 battle rifle, one locally made pistol, and two traditional Dane guns.
- Ammunition: Four rounds of 7.62mm live military-grade ammunition, nine tactical pump-action cartridges, and one locally fabricated rifle magazine.
- Logistics & Restraints: Three Boxer motorcycles used for rapid transit through difficult terrain, alongside a set of handcuff chains.
Commitment to Sustained Operations
The Zamfara State Police Command confirmed that all three suspects remain in custody at the state headquarters, where they are undergoing rigorous interrogation. Detectives are actively utilizing confessions and recovered assets to track down, locate, and apprehend the remaining fleeing members of the cell.
Reaffirming its mandate to restore security, the command stated that it will sustain its offensive operations against armed criminal groups.
Police leadership urged both rural and urban residents to stay vigilant and continue providing timely, verified, and credible information to security agencies to help eliminate banditry from the state’s forest corridors.
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