Banditry: DSS kills kidnap kingpin, others in Katsina

A major intelligence-driven security operation has dealt a significant blow to armed banditry in Nigeria’s North-West, with operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), backed by Katsina State community vigilantes and specially trained hunters, neutralising more than 60 suspected bandits, including notorious kingpin Idi Abasu Aiki, during a fierce confrontation in Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina.

Security sources disclosed that the kidnap kingpin, long regarded as one of the most feared bandit leaders operating across Katsina and neighbouring Zamfara, was among those killed in what has been described as a carefully coordinated ambush based on actionable intelligence.

According to the sources, over 200 heavily armed bandits, led by Idi Aiki and reinforced by fighters linked to the notorious Ado Aleru network in Zamfara, invaded Guga village with the intention of launching a reprisal attack against communities accused of collaborating with local security volunteers.

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The planned assault, sources said, was aimed at dismantling the Community Watch Corps and hunters who had recently inflicted heavy losses on the criminal groups during an earlier clash at Dawan Laila village in Bakori LGA, where they neutralised over 40 bandits.

However, unknown to the attackers, security operatives had already gathered intelligence on the planned invasion and strategically positioned forces to intercept them.

“The bandits literally walked into a trap,” one security source said. “The DSS had obtained credible intelligence about the operation and coordinated with community vigilantes and hunters. More than 60 bandits, including Idi Abasu Aiki and at least 14 of his senior commanders, were eliminated during the encounter.”

Despite the success of the operation, the clash came at a cost. Four members of the community vigilante and hunters supporting the security operation were reportedly killed while confronting the attackers.

Following the gun battle, security personnel launched an extensive clearance operation across the area, recovering weapons and other items abandoned by the fleeing bandits.

A Tribune Correspondent in Katsina gathered that the latest operation is being seen as one of the most significant blows against armed criminal gangs operating in Katsina and parts of Zamfara in recent months, particularly with the reported elimination of a high-profile commander accused of orchestrating numerous deadly attacks, kidnappings and raids across the region.

Residents in the affected communities expressed cautious optimism that the operation could weaken the influence of the criminal network and improve security, although authorities are urged and expected to sustain pressure to prevent any regrouping by surviving members of the gangs.

Security agencies have yet to issue an official statement on the latest operation, but sources say investigations and follow-up clearance missions are continuing in the area to track down fleeing bandits and recover additional arms and ammunition.