Nigerian Bandit Kingpin and Hundreds Killed in Military Operation

In a major advancement against banditry in north-west Nigeria, military forces have reportedly killed a notorious bandit kingpin, Gwaska Dankarami, alongside 100 of his alleged followers in a coordinated operation in the Munumu Forest. Dankarami, regarded as a key player in the region's ongoing criminal activity, was recognized for his erstwhile association with an Islamic State-affiliated leader. His death is notably timed after a recent violent episode in which bandits kidnapped 43 villagers, resulting in casualties.

Despite past claims of his death in 2022 by the Nigerian Air Force, this latest operation is celebrated by local authorities as a significant triumph in combating banditry. Nasir Mua'zu, the Katsina State commissioner for internal security, stated that the successful mission is a critical strike against the criminal networks that have historically plagued communities in the region. In the process, military forces secured and destroyed dangerous weapons, indicating a concerted effort to dismantle these criminal operations.

Concurrent intelligence-led operations have further incapacitated bandit activities, with additional bandits and their commander neutralized, and multiple stolen motorcycles recovered. Under the leadership of Governor Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, Katsina State is committed to eliminating the scourge of banditry as part of a larger directive to restore stability across Nigeria’s north-west, an area ravaged by frequent violent crimes.