Suspected armed bandits operating under the notorious kingpin Ado Aleiro have reportedly appointed a new field commander following the death of Kachalla Iliya Mai Rasha, while communities in parts of Zamfara State are allegedly being compelled to contribute money for the purchase of weapons.
The development was reported by security analyst Zagazola Makama, who said the move is part of efforts by the criminal group to reorganise its operations after recent military offensives against bandit enclaves across the North West.
According to the report, the identity of the newly appointed commander has not been disclosed. However, emissaries linked to the group have allegedly imposed a N200,000 levy on each village in the western axis of Tsafe Local Government Area.
The report claimed the levy is expected to generate about N25 million, which the group allegedly plans to use to procure additional weapons and ammunition.
Makama also reported that at least 10 bandit commanders, commonly referred to as Kachallas, were buried in Kizara village, west of Tsafe, following recent military operations, while several others reportedly sustained injuries during the offensive.
The report further quoted residents familiar with the activities of the armed groups as saying the bandits have complained of increasing difficulty in rustling livestock within Zamfara due to sustained military operations.
According to the residents, members of the group now travel longer distances into remote areas in search of livestock because repeated security operations and earlier cattle thefts have significantly reduced the number of animals available for rustling within the state.
The claims made by residents could not be independently verified.
However, security sources cited in the report said they are monitoring intelligence on the alleged leadership changes and the reported collection of levies from rural communities as part of ongoing efforts to disrupt the group’s logistics and funding network.
The report added that recent operations under Operation FANSAN YAMMA have intensified pressure on armed groups operating across Zamfara, Katsina and Sokoto states, leading to the reported elimination of several notorious bandit commanders and the disruption of their operational bases.
