Metro

Notorious Bandit Kingpin Receives Firearms as Gift from Fellow Bandits After Nine Years In Prison

Published

1 month ago

February 5, 2025

The return of notorious bandit kingpin Kachallah Bammi Yarma, who was imprisoned in the Niger Republic in 2015, has sparked widespread fear across Katsina, Zamfara, and Sokoto states. His release after completing a nine-year sentence has raised concerns due to his deep influence within the region’s bandit networks.

A counterterrorism and insurgency expert specializing in the Lake Chad Basin, Zagazola Makama, disclosed via a post on X (formerly Twitter) that Bammi Yarma has returned to Katsina State. Makama highlighted that the bandit leader, known for orchestrating violent attacks, mass kidnappings, and extensive cattle rustling, was initially arrested in 2015 during the tenure of former Katsina State Governor, Aminu Bello Masari.

Bammi Yarma’s capture was considered a significant victory in the fight against banditry. Security forces apprehended him in Danmusa, Katsina State, while he was smuggling weapons using nine camels—an operation that disrupted a crucial supply chain for criminal activities in the region. His eventual conviction led to his imprisonment in the Niger Republic, where he remained for nearly a decade.

Following his release, intelligence sources indicate that Bammi Yarma has regained a strong foothold among bandit factions. Reports suggest that several top bandit leaders have been paying homage to him, with some presenting him with multiple firearms, including between five and ten rifles each. This resurgence has alarmed security analysts, as his return could significantly escalate violent activities in Nigeria’s already troubled Northwest.

The revival of Bammi Yarma’s influence poses a serious threat to ongoing security efforts in the region. His ability to mobilize bandit groups, combined with access to new weaponry, may lead to increased attacks on villages, security outposts, and transportation routes. Furthermore, his established smuggling network could reignite illegal arms trafficking, making it more challenging for authorities to curb banditry.

Local communities, already struggling with persistent insecurity, now face heightened risks. Many residents fear that his return could trigger fresh waves of abductions, cattle theft, and violent raids, undermining previous counter-banditry operations.

Authorities in Katsina, Zamfara, and Sokoto states are expected to take decisive action in response to Bammi Yarma’s resurgence. Security agencies may intensify surveillance, deploy additional personnel, and collaborate with local vigilante groups to prevent his network from regaining full strength. Meanwhile, regional leaders and community stakeholders are being urged to support intelligence-sharing efforts to track his movements and activities.

With banditry already crippling economic activities and displacing thousands in the Northwest, Bammi Yarma’s return serves as a grim reminder of the persistent security challenges facing the region. The coming weeks will be critical in determining whether authorities can counteract his growing influence or if the region will witness a renewed surge in violent crime.

Related Topics:arrested Bandit community Nigeria Zamfara

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Metro

Scores feared dead in Abuja-Makurdi highway accident

Published

44 minutes ago

March 14, 2025

Admin

A high-speed auto crash involving a commercial bus has claimed multiple lives along the Abuja-Makurdi Highway.

The commercial bus belongs to Flight Transport Company.

The accident occurred on Thursday, leaving several dead and many others injured.

DAILY POST sighted a video of the incident showing the lifeless bodies of some passengers sprawled across the road as bystanders wailed in distress.

Many of the victims, including men and women, lay motionless on the road.

A witness in the video could be heard lamenting about the reckless speed of the bus driver before the tragic accident occurred.

“When this driver overtook us, I was complaining about his speed. This Flight Bus, I was complaining. Just look at it. I was complaining about the speed of this very driver,” the narrator in the video said.

The crash has sparked fresh outrage among road users and concerned citizens, with many taking to social media to condemn the continuous recklessness of some bus drivers.

Metro

Finally, abducted Catholic priest freed by captives

Published

1 hour ago

March 14, 2025

Admin

Nine days after he was kidnapped, the Catholic Priest of St. Peter’s Catholic Church, Ivukwa, in the Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State, Rev. Fr. Peter Ekweli, has been released by his abductors.

But the fate of the seminarian who was abducted with him, Peter Andrew, remained unknown.

A viral video on Thursday showed a kidnap victim, surrounded by uniformed men believed to be vigilantes, claiming that he was kidnapped and put in the same location with the priest and seminarian.

The victim said they were all forced to close their eyes, and in the process, they heard a gunshot.

Then, they were told to open their eyes, and they saw the seminarian battling for his life before he died.

He said they trekked to a place in Edo Central from where he escaped.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Moses Yamu, claimed that the priest had been rescued by the police and that the police would soon come up with an official statement.

According to a source, the Catholic Church will also issue a statement on Friday about the priest’s release.

Metro

Soldiers round up bandits, silenced three in Abuja-Kaduna expressway encounter

Published

1 day ago

March 13, 2025

Admin

The Troops of Sub-Sector 4, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, ambushed bandits and neutralised three of them off the Kaduna-Abuja highway.

Acting Deputy Director Army Public Relations, 1 Division, Nigerian Army, Lt-Col. Musa Yahaya, confirmed the development in a statement issued on Wednesday in Kaduna.

Yahaya said, “In a well-coordinated operation on Tuesday, troops of Sub-Sector 4, Operation FANSAN YAMMA successfully neutralised three Violent Extremists and Insurgents (VEIs) in an ambush at an area near Ngwagi Hill, Gwagwada Community, off the Kaduna – Abuja highway in Chikun LGA of Kaduna State.”

The spokesman said that the success of the operation was based on acting on credible intelligence that the VEI was sighted near Ngwagi Hill.

He said that troops were immediately deployed on long-range fighting patrol to the likely road-crossing point of the insurgents.

According to him, the troops got to the location at about 5.30 p.m. on the same date. They successfully launched the ambush, which effectively neutralised three armed members of the criminal group.

“During the operation, troops also recovered a cache of arms and ammunition, including two AK-47 rifles, eight AK-47 rifle magazines, 374 rounds of 7.62mm x 39 special ammunition and 88 rounds of 7.62mm x 54 NATO ammunition.

Other items recovered were one Infinix mobile phone, medical supplies, clothing, and dry rations, ” Yahaya said.

He said the operation’s success was a testament to the troops’ high fighting morale and combat efficiency.

“This achievement is also due to the effective collaboration between the military and intelligence agencies, which provided credible intelligence that informed the operation.

He said the General Officer Commanding 1 Division, Nigerian Army, and Commander Sector 1 Joint Task Force Operation FANSAN YAMMA, Maj.-Gen. Mayirenso Saraso, commended the troops for their resilience and successful conduct of the operation.

He charged the troops not to relent on their oars until all criminal elements operating in the Division and the Sector’s area of operational responsibility were neutralised.

NAN