Police Still Hunting Terrorist Turbaned in Zamfara, Says Katsina Governor Masari

Katsina State Governor, Aminu Bello Masari, on Tuesday painted a rather confounding scenario, when he said the police are still hunting a notorious terrorist kingpin, Ado Aleru, who was recently turbaned the Sarkin Fulanin Yandoto by the now suspended Emir of Birnin Yandoto, in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State, Aliyu Garba Marafa, by Governor Bello Matawalle.

Masari, who spoke in an interview with BBC Hausa Service, however, expressed sadness over the development, saying his government has yet to forgive Aliero for killing his people, stressing that the state and police are still looking for the terror leader, who has been on police wanted list for the past two years.

The Katsina State Police Command had in June, 2020 declared Alero wanted for masterminding the attack on Kadisau village of Faskari Local Government Area of the state, an incident that led to the killing of over 52 people.

The police further placed a bounty of N5,000,000 on his head to anyone with useful information that could lead to his arrest – either dead or alive.

Curiously, however, the most sought after terrorists’ kingpin was recently given a chieftaincy title of Sarkin Fulanin Yandoto by Emir Marafa, which led to his immediate suspension by Governor Matawalle.

But Masari, during the interview, explained that the Katsina State government had not forgiven the notorious terrorist and that the government would work with security agencies to arrest the hoodlum.

He insisted that even if Aleru has accepted to live peacefully with the farming communities in Zamfara, his government still considered him a terrorist and would do everything humanly possible to arrest him and make him face the law for the crimes he had committed.

The governor wondered why a criminal, who has been on wanted list of security operatives for years would be conferred with a chieftaincy title after killing innocent citizens in communities across Zamfara and Katsina States.

He reiterated that some terrorists recruited by Aleru were still killing, kidnapping and raping residents of Katsina State in villages and communities that bordered Zamfara .

“It is surprising because Katsina and Zamfara are the same. If a neighbour doesn’t support his neighbour, do you think he would be supported in his time of travail? So, it surprised me how they looked away from the travail of their neighbor (Katsina).

“It affected them too because a traitor, when he is done with your enemy, would turn towards you. We’ve not forgiven him and just as the police in Katsina said, they are still looking for him. For me, the one I have business with is the governor (Matawalle).

“I tried reaching out to him but he is not around and I did not get him. The police command here (Katsina) has the responsibility to reach out to the police in Zamfara to know what’s actually going on.

“The only issue is that the police in Katsina can’t go to Zamfara and arrest him. So, if he dares enter Katsina again, we will arrest him so that he can answer for his crimes. Even if they said he has stopped, we know that here in Katsina, he is still killing people; his boys are still killing people,” the governor maintained.

Meanwhile, terrorists on Tuesday, launched fresh onslaught on Ruwan-Godiya community in Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State and killed nine farmers, who were working on their farmlands.

The motorcycle-riding terrorists, who stormed the community in broad daylight, also injured no fewer than seven other farmers including their children.

A resident of the community, Ibrahim Sani, told THISDAY in a telephone interview that, the criminals followed the victims to their respective farms and shot them dead.

“They (terrorists) attacked us around 2pm this afternoon (Tuesday) and moved to nearby farms and starting killing people on their farms. We have so far recovered nine bodies. They injured seven people also.

“We are tired of these people (terrorists), because they are killing and kidnapping our people on daily basis. We wonder what we have done to them. Government should please come to our rescue,” he said.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Gambo Isah, while confirming the attack on the community, said the terrorists killed six people during the invasion, and added that six other people sustained varying degree of injuries, while the terrorists rustled an unspecified number of cattle belonging to residents.

The superintendent of police said those injured had already been taken to the hospital for treatment.

Francis Sardauna in Katsina

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