Kachalla Bello, a notorious bandit leader, has reportedly
been killed during a gunfight between rival armed groups in a forest around
Faskari LGA of Katsina state.
According to Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency
publication focused on the Lake Chad region, local sources said the incident
occurred on Tuesday evening when rival bandit factions engaged in a fierce
exchange of gunfire in the forest.
Makama reported that Kachalla Bello was among those killed
during the confrontation, adding that details surrounding the circumstances of
his death remained sketchy.
According to the publication, Bello was accused of
terrorising farming communities through kidnappings and forced labour.
Local sources told Makama that Bello specialised in
abducting residents from their farmlands and compelling them to work on his
farm before releasing them.
The publication said his reported death was expected to
bring relief to communities that had endured years of intimidation and criminal
activities attributed to his group.
Makama noted that security authorities had yet to
independently confirm the circumstances surrounding the reported killing.
It added that the incident highlighted persistent rivalries
among armed groups operating in parts of Katsina state, where clashes over
territory, resources and criminal operations have occasionally resulted in
deadly confrontations.
Speaking to TheCable on Wednesday, Abubakar Sadiq-Aliyu,
police spokesperson in Katsina, said he was not aware of the incident.
“I am not aware of the incident; I will make an enquiry and
call you back,” he said.
When TheCable followed up with Sadiq-Aliyu three hours
later, the police spokesperson said he was still trying to establish the exact
location of the incident so he could contact the divisional police officer
(DPO).
“I’m trying to find out, but I cannot pinpoint where. I know
people. Can you give me the location of where they are so that I can contact
the DPO? If I can get the exact location where the incident happened, I can
contact the DPO. Let me find out,” he added.
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com