Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The arrest of a man identified as Nura Bakasati in Sayaya, Matazu Local Government Area of Katsina State, has provided security agencies with a rare and potentially decisive window into the criminal network of notorious bandit kingpin Kachalla Muhammadu, also known as Maha. The suspect was apprehended over his alleged links to Maha's group, which has been linked to several attacks and abductions in the area, including the abduction of the late retired Major General Rabe Abubakar and his wife. The retired general, a former Director of Defence Information, reportedly died while in captivity, an event that heightened national concerns over the activities of armed groups and the threats they pose to military personnel and civilians in the North-West.
In a video posted online by conflict reporter Bakatsine, Bakasati was questioned about his alleged relationship with Maha. During questioning conducted in Hausa, he spoke about an operation in Sayaya in which seven people were killed, the movement of cattle, the purchase of food items for members of the group, and the delivery of N1 million to a man identified as Isiyaka in Matazu. The suspect described how his relationship with Maha began when he was given cattle to rear. He said he was sent to look after them for one year, but the cattle were later stolen. Maha then gave him more cattle to rear, and he continued in that role until the killings in Sayaya forced many residents to flee the area.
Bakasati was then questioned about the operation during which seven people were killed in Sayaya around the Eid period. He said Maha had instructed him to find people who could go to farm for him. When he told Maha that there were not many people in Sayaya at the time, Maha allegedly insisted he find workers. Bakasati also admitted to continuing his association with Maha after selling the cattle, and to delivering N1 million to Isiyaka in Matazu, who is accused of being a key figure in the network's financial chain. The interrogation revealed the breadth of the support network that sustains Maha's operations, from cattle rearing and food procurement to cash transfers and errand running.
The arrest of Bakasati is part of a broader wave of operations by the Katsina State Community Watch Corps and security operatives targeting Maha's network. On September 17, two suspects, Abubakar and Ubale Change, were reportedly arrested in Matazu over allegations of supplying ammunition and running errands for Maha. A day later, Isiyaku Nasiru, a Point of Sale operator and motorcycle spare parts dealer, was taken into custody alongside Abubakar Sayaya, Nura Baka Sati, and Ubale Mai Cange. Nasiru was allegedly used as part of a financial chain through which money linked to Maha was moved to people involved in procuring weapons and other supplies. The council chairman, Shamsuddeen Muhammad Sayaya, confirmed the arrests and said the suspects were being investigated, stressing that the arrests could provide security agencies with information capable of exposing the structures allegedly sustaining criminal activities in the area.
On Sunday, September 20, troops of Operation FANSAN YAMMA in collaboration with local vigilantes captured several senior members of Maha's group, including a top commander identified as Samagi. The operation reportedly led to the capture of other senior members of the group, and the suspects are believed to have played prominent roles in kidnapping, killings and other violent attacks attributed to the Maha network. A prominent vigilante leader said the capture of Samagi and other senior members could provide security agencies with valuable intelligence on the group's leadership, operational methods, hideouts, supply networks and possible collaborators.
The abduction of General Rabe Abubakar and his wife on May 30, 2026, brought the severity of the insecurity around Matazu into sharp national focus. The couple were travelling through the Matazu axis when suspected bandits intercepted their vehicle along the Marabar Musawa–Kafinsoli Road. Gunmen opened fire on the vehicle before abducting the couple. Their driver sustained gunshot injuries but escaped. The Katsina State Government later confirmed that General Abubakar had died in captivity. A rescued victim revealed that the general fell and sustained injuries in the terrorists' camp that worsened because of his diabetes and hypertension. The bandits reportedly demanded the release of detained associates in exchange for the victims, a demand that highlighted the extent to which criminal groups in the region operate with a sense of impunity and leverage.
Matazu has endured a cycle of killings, abductions, displacement and economic devastation that has transformed once-thriving farming communities into settlements struggling to survive. The area, once known for its agricultural activities, livestock production, commerce and vibrant communities, has witnessed the gradual abandonment of villages as residents flee attacks and farmers stay away from their fields for fear of being killed or abducted. Residents say hundreds of people have been killed or injured over the years, while thousands have been displaced. More than 15 communities have reportedly been deserted or severely affected by the violence, with the crisis spilling into neighbouring local government areas, including Musawa, Kankia, Dutsinma and Kusada. The Katsina State Government has imposed restrictions on Point of Sale businesses, commercial phone charging points, and the sale and transportation of petroleum products in jerrycans in Matazu and Musawa as part of measures to curb banditry and kidnapping.
For the families of the victims of Maha's network, the arrests offer a measure of hope that the perpetrators of the violence that has devastated their communities may finally face justice. For security agencies, the interrogation of Bakasati and the capture of Samagi and other senior commanders represent valuable intelligence that could lead to the dismantling of the network and the apprehension of Maha himself. The question that remains unanswered is whether these arrests will translate into a decisive breakthrough in the hunt for the bandit kingpin, or whether the network will adapt, regroup, and continue to terrorise communities in Katsina State. As investigations continue, the people of Matazu and the wider North-West can only wait and hope that the tide is finally turning against the criminals who have held their communities hostage for far too long.
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