The Turji Vanguard has raised concerns following the elimination of several key associates and fellow bandits, especially in light of the recent restructuring of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the Department of State Services (DSS).
On August 26, 2024, President Bola Tinubu appointed Mr. Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi and Mr. Mohammed Mohammed as the Directors-General of the DSS and NIA, respectively. Their appointments have significantly impacted the fight against banditry, leading to the arrest and elimination of commanders, the seizure of substantial caches of arms, and the disruption of bandits’ communication networks, particularly in the North West and North Central regions.
Reliable sources indicate that the renewed efforts in combating banditry have left these criminal groups in disarray. One insider noted that Mr. Ajayi, previously the most senior director of the DSS and state director in Kogi State, has optimized the agency’s intelligence resources to strengthen operations against bandits.
According to the source, “Mr. Ajayi initiated psychologically-led operations against bandits and kidnappers, resulting in the neutralization of several notorious kingpins, including Kachalla Lawali Dodo, Kachalla All Dan Oga, Kachalla Black, and Kachalla Sani Kwalba.”
In a recent series of coordinated operations by the secret police in Kaduna State, Mallam Rabo Abdulkadir, a notorious arms supplier to bandits and terrorists, was arrested with an impressive arsenal that included three AK-47 rifles, one AR Galil rifle, and over 1,600 rounds of ammunition.
In the North Central Zone, particularly in Kogi State, where Mr. Ajayi last served, camps belonging to major terrorist kingpins like Kachalla Bala and Kachalla Shuaibu were raided. These groups have terrorized Kogi, Kaduna, Niger, Kwara, Nasarawa States, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). During these raids, three of Kachalla Bala’s foot soldiers were neutralized, and 11 others were captured, including a major logistics supplier identified as Baba Gurgu. Additionally, various kidnap kingpins and gunrunners were apprehended across the FCT, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, and Plateau States.
Notable arrests included Isah Adavuruku, Malik Otaru, Mohammed Usman, Usman Iliya, Lawal Shaibu, Umar Musa Keana, Dauda Gongola Keana, and Anas Bello, all linked to a recent ambush on soldiers and vigilantes in Kabba/Bunu LGA of Kogi State.
In the North East zone, five members of a kidnap syndicate, including Salisu Nasiru, Lamiya Bisala, and Manuga Sunday, were arrested on August 30, 2024, in Donga LGA of Taraba State, along with a significant cache of weapons.
Meanwhile, in Borno State, arms dealer Friday Gomna Isaac was apprehended while transporting weapons to Jos, Plateau State. In the South East, Mathias Onyebuchi, a commander of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), was arrested for masterminding an attack on a police checkpoint near Enugu that resulted in the deaths of two policemen.
The coordinated operations have extended to the South-South and South West zones, leading to the arrest of two members of a militant and sea piracy syndicate terrorizing Akwa Ibom and neighboring states: Daniel Etim David and Uwem Asuquo Edet. Additional arrests were also made in Rivers, Lagos, and Oyo States, further illustrating the government’s intensified efforts to combat crime and enhance security across the nation.