End of the road for Buharin, Zamfara’s notorious criminal

In this piece, MUHAMMAD SABIU reports how community efforts with security officers culminated in the brutal end of political thug-turned criminal to the joy of residents.

IT was celebration galore as soldiers entered Gusau, Zamfara State, on March 9, 2018, conveyed the corpse of Buharin Daji, the most wanted criminal in the state, that Friday. Residents, in their hundreds, thronged to the seat of power to catch a glimpse of the decomposing body of the notorious criminal.

Named Buhari Tsoho  from Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara State. Buharin was described as a good fellow who took care of his few cows and his immediate family.

After Muhammad Buhari won the presidential election in 2015, Tsoho’s friends started to call him Buharin Daji. They also called him  Buhari General. He used to tell them that ‘Buhari is the Commander -in Chief of  the country, but I, Buharin, I am the Commander -in-Chief and General in charge of the forests in the state and the neighbouring states.

Daji  lived like a ‘president’ in the forest. He moved around in a convoy with armed body guards and was said to have domestic aides who took care of his shores in the bush and his home. He also had his commanders whom he deployed to every section of the state. It was gathered he had 10 local commanders as his foot soldiers, who operated in  Maru, Gusau  Tsafe, Bungudu, Bukkuyum, Gummi ,Maradun,  Shinkafi, Zurmi, and Birnin Magaji local government areas of the state.

His commanders were addressed as ‘governors’, and they gave him daily reports of activities in their various domains.

Buharin Daji was so powerful that rural dwellers came to him to settle disputes. Some rural dwellers preferred him to Nigerian courts. He was said to be a cheerful giver who gave money and cows to the downtrodden. But the kind man and his foot soldiers were involved in criminal activities ranging from cattle rustling, looting, land grabbing, kidnapping, armed banditry, rape, arson and brutal killings from 2010 to date.  These allegations were confirmed by the Chairman of the state Council of Chiefs and Emir of Anka, Alhaji Attahiru Muhammad Ahmad during a security retreat for traditional rulers in Kaduna held from February 5 to 7. According to him, ‘since the start of banditry and rustling in the state, over 1,000 lives had been lost, 5,000 women raped and 2,000 kidnapped and ransom paid for their release. Further, he said that prior to 2010, drug addiction, stealing, armed robbery and religious extremism, were the major security issues in the state, but today, cattle rustling and kidnapping for ransom has become the major issues. So, when the news of his Buharin was announced on March 7, 2018, nobody believed it until his corpse was brought to the Government House.

Findings gathered that he was killed by one of his aides during an internal squabble.

Sunday Tribune leaned that the deceased had sent his boys to rustle some cattle in a village and, unknown to him, one of the victims was an in-law of one of his repentant commander, Dogo Gide.  When Gide got wind of the attack, he phoned the deceased and told him that he had taken away some cows belonging to his in-law and he should return them because it was an embarrassment to him.  An argument ensued between the duo and they finally agreed to meet for settlement. Thus, they met at a border town between Zamfara and Niger states.  It was, however, gathered that each one came with his men and Dogo Gide had an agenda. ‘

The opportunity for Gide to execute his plan was even made possible when he noticed that his boss, Buhari Daji, came to the peace meeting without his bag. It was rumoured that the deceased used the bag to disappear whenever he was in danger. “Gide moved closer to him and as he was talking to him, then brought out his AK 47 rifle and shot him on the chest. He also killed the other eight people that accompanied him to the peace meeting,” a source said.   A delighted Gide later called one of the security men to inform him about him about the death of Buharin Daji.

 Rise of powerful Daji 

Late Buhari Daji was said to have been to be armed by wealthy individuals who gave him their cows to take care of them. A source, who pleaded for anonymity, remarked that these wealthy individuals sometimes used him to settle scores, while another account claimed Daji had been used and dumped by the state government. The anonymous source remarked that during the 2011 campaign, he and his group assisted the government of the day to clinch to power.

It will be recalled that the power tussle between the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), led by the then governor of the state,  Alhaji Mahmud Shinkafi, and the defunct All Nigerian People’s Congress (ANPP), led by the former governor of the state, Alhaji Ahmed Sani, now a Senator, was fierce as both camps wanted power at all cost. Shinkafi wanted to maintain the status quo, while Senator Sani wanted to dislodge his deputy to prove that he was a kingmaker. ANPP eventually dislodged the incumbent PDP governor, and thus Governor Yari assumed office.

Source alleged that when Yari came to power, he abandoned Buharin and his men. “So, Buharin and his men eventually resorted to cattle rustling and other crimes. This claim was, however, dismissed by the Chief Press Secretary to the state Deputy Governor, Alhaji Yusuf Idris, whose boss, Malam Ibrahim Wakkala, was the chairman of the peace and reconciliation committee set up by the state governor, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari to find a lasting peace in the state.  Idris told Sunday Tribune that ‘the claim was the handiwork of mischief makers and  critics who never saw  anything good with the state government .

“At no time did the government sought assistance from Late Buharin Daji  to win elections. Our leader, Senator Ahmed Sani, cannot  indulge in such an unholy alliance. Don’t forget he ruled the state for eight years and also made Mamuda, his successor, the governor and defeated him when they parted ways.”

The CPS, who admitted that to Sunday Tribune that he followed his boss to some of the peace meetings with the bandits, described the late Buharin Daji  as an ingrate and a greedy individual, said that the history of cattle rustling in the state began in 2010, while the present government came to power in 2011,

“Don’t forget that amnesty was even granted to those armed bandits and thousands of them surrendered their arms to the Deputy Governor’s peace committee. For more than one year, there was no armed attack until the recent killings of 41 women and children in a village in Zurmi Local Government Area of the state,” he had said.

Also, the state director of the Department of the State Security (DSS), Zamfara State Command, Hadi Usman, attributed the worsening security challenges in the state to the failure of the Buharin to keep faith with the agreement reached by the state government.

Usman had told newsmen, shortly after confirming the death of Buharin, that it was because of his refusal to surrender that the idea of forming the anti-banditry operation was nursed. He said the  Peace and Reconciliation Committee, headed by the state deputy governor, met with the Fulani armed bandits and Yansakai with a view to suspending hostilities and laying down arms for peace restoration, but while members of Volunteer Vigilante laid down a significant number of arms, the Fulani bandits remained adamant.

“‘Shortly after, in April, 2017, the armed bandits resumed full blown activities in different parts of the state, which necessitated the resumption of anti-banditry operation against Buhari’s  led banditry syndicate, and other bandits in the state,” Sudawa explained.

He further informed that the anti-banditry operation, which always works closely with repentant bandits, had succeeded in the arrest of Dogo Bangaje by the Nigeria Police, and who was handed over to the DSS.

“Following such a development, the godfather of Bangaje, Buhari Daji , had, before his death, issued a 24 hour ultimatum to the state government to release him unconditionally, otherwise he would make the state ungovernable by committing large scale massacres and other unbearable criminal activities in the state,” the Director stated.

According to him, a joint security operations involving the army and repentant bandits, stormed the forest resulting in the killing of 10 commanders and 60 loyalists of the late Buharin Daji.

“With this development, the bandits have been subdued and peace will return to most of the troubled communities, but the communities must be vigilant and report any suspicious movements to the nearest security post,” he said.