By Suleiman Anyalewechi
The days of reckoning for Adamu Aliero the most wanted and vicious Zamfara banditry lord appear numbered.
Sustained and well co-ordinated aerial bombardment of his camps by the Nigerian Air Force in the last few days ,have left his camps known to be the stronghold of kidnappings and banditry elements operating in Zamfara state and neighbouring states of Kaduna and katsina in disarray.
The Source gathered authoritatively that Aliero’s strongest operational camp located in the Munhaye area of Zamfara and from where about 80% of kidnappings and other criminal activities are planned and executed not only in Zamfara, but most parts of the Northwest has since last weekend been subjected to heavy attacks by the Airforce, resulting in the decimation of a large numbers of his foot soldiers.
A local revealed on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, that series of aerial attacks on Aliero’s Camp between last Saturday and early hours of Monday April 8, have seriously disrupted the notorious bandit’s operations and Criminal Network so much that he is most unlikely to hold out for long .
Aliero, believed widely to be the mastermind of most abductions, kidnappings,and the regime of terror and unbridled criminal activities in mostly Katsina, Kaduna, and Zamfara States, has been on the most wanted list of security agencies in the last two years .
However, with a wide criminal network and alleged collaboration with some highly placed Zamfara and Northern elements who are believed to be offering him subtle supports for some unexplainable reasons, Aliero has managed to evade arrest by the security agencies.
One local source told this Magazine, that the planning and abduction of the Kuriga school children on March 7′ has the imprimatur of Adamu Aliero and his men ,allegedly backed by some powerful collaborative forces .
The continued evasion of arrest by the notorious bandit kingpin believed to be responsible for the general reign of terror and abductions of vulnerable people ,has been largely attributed to the information always made available to him ,by his powerful collaborators concerning the operational plans of security agencies against him.
However, with the success rate of the recent air strikes on his strongholds and the monumental loses suffered ,many locals and government officials in Zamfara state ,have been expressing high hopes that the era of mass abductions, kidnappings and killings of innocent people in the state and the North appears to be coming to an end.
Many residents of Munhaye, Aliero’s stronghold,are said to have started heaving a sigh of relief,owing to the somewhat renewed commitment by the security agencies, particularly the NAF ,in stamping out the bandits and their operations .
Not a few are upbeat ,that sustained operations ,like the ones being carried out by the NAF will bring respite and ensure the protection of lives and property of the people.
