Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Zamfara State Community Protection Guards (CPG), known locally as Askarawa, has dealt a significant blow to the infrastructure of banditry, arresting nine suspects and exposing a civilian network that has been providing the intelligence, logistics, medical care, and legal cover enabling criminal groups to operate across the North-West. The suspects were paraded in Gusau on Monday, August 31, 2026, following a series of intelligence-led operations across the state. Among those in custody are active bandits, informants, logistics suppliers, a suspected "bandit doctor," drug merchants, and a fake legal practitioner.
Perhaps the most alarming revelation of the operation is the extent to which bandits rely on civilian collaborators. The CPG apprehended a bandit doctor, Ibrahim Mafindi Titus, who is accused of treating wounded insurgents with medical supplies sourced internationally. The arrest of a fake legal practitioner, Mustapha Muhammed, who allegedly impersonated a lawyer to extort money from the relative of a detainee outside the CPG headquarters, further exposes the sophistication of the criminal ecosystem. These are not mere gunmen; they are part of a network that includes individuals providing medical care, legal cover, intelligence, and communication—all essential for sustaining a life of crime.
The operation also uncovered staggering financial details. A 20-year-old suspect, Abubakar Malan Ori, who confessed to spending months with the camp of notorious bandit kingpin Kachalla Gwaska, revealed that the criminal network collected more than N226 million in ransom from multiple abductions across Zamfara, Kaduna, and Niger states, as well as the Niger Republic. This revelation underscores the scale of the ransom economy that has turned kidnapping into a lucrative industry for bandits and their collaborators. Other suspects, Mamman Haruna and Aliyu Lawali, detailed their involvement in massive cattle rustling and armed attacks alongside other notorious kingpins.
The CPG Commandant, retired AIG Shehu Dalijan, made it clear that the fight against banditry is not just about confronting armed men in the bush. "We remain unalloyed in our commitment to weed out collaborators and restore total peace across communities in Zamfara State," he said. The arrests of informants, who allegedly provided intelligence to bandits, and logistics suppliers, who moved arms and supplies, highlight the critical role that civilian support networks play in sustaining criminal operations. Drug merchants were also among those paraded, pointing to the nexus between illicit drugs and banditry.
The suspects are expected to be handed over to relevant prosecuting agencies for further investigation and legal action. This operation serves as a stark reminder that banditry in Zamfara is not sustained by gunmen alone. It thrives on a network of informants, doctors, lawyers, and merchants who operate within communities. The CPG's success in dismantling this network is a significant step, but the question remains: how widespread are these support networks, and what more can be done to identify and dismantle those enabling bandits from within communities? The answer may determine whether the fight against banditry in Nigeria's North-West is finally won or lost.
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