Armed bandits have abducted the traditional ruler of Yankuzo, Alhaji Babangida Kogo, in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State, just hours after a devastating Nigerian Air Force (NAF) airstrike killed scores of terrorists in the area.
The monarch was reportedly seized on Tuesday evening along the Mararraba axis while fleeing his community over fears of reprisal attacks following the military operation.
According to security sources, the abduction was carried out by a group of heavily armed men riding on more than 10 motorcycles. They intercepted the district head and his entourage near the abandoned farm of the late Alhaji Malami Yandoto, taking him away while sparing others.
The abduction came in the wake of a precision airstrike by the Air Component of Operation Hadarin Daji, which targeted a large assembly of bandits between Yankuzo and Munhaye. The gathering was believed to be a wedding or celebratory event attended by fighters loyal to notorious bandit kingpins active in the Tsafe–Zurmi axis, including some who had crossed over from Katsina and Sokoto states.
Intelligence reports and aerial surveillance had tracked over 100 armed bandits converging at the location prior to the strike. The operation left dozens dead, several wounded, and destroyed numerous motorcycles.
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“The impact was massive. Charred bodies and wreckage of motorcycles littered the area after the strike,” a security source told Zagazola Makama.
The airstrike triggered widespread panic across surrounding villages, prompting residents—including the abducted monarch—to flee in fear of retaliation.
“We knew they would strike back. That’s why our district head was leaving. Unfortunately, he ran into them before reaching safety,” a Yankuzo resident said, speaking anonymously for security reasons.
Local vigilantes have launched a manhunt to locate the abducted monarch, while military ground troops have been deployed to prevent further attacks.
The incident underscores the growing desperation of bandit groups facing mounting pressure from intensified military operations across Zamfara and the wider North West.
