The governor of Zamfara State, Duada Lawal, has expressed happiness over the recent killing of a notorious bandit kingpin, Halilu Sububu, by the military, stating that other bandits including Bello Turji are now in disarray.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, Governor Lawal explained that the remaining bandits in the state lack the capacity Sububu had.
“I am one of the happiest persons concerning what we are going through in Zamfara State as far as banditry is concerned. As you know Halilu Sububu was one of the major kingpins in terms of banditry in Zamfara State and the Northern part of the country,” Governor Lawal said.
“He controls large chunk of bandits, full of money, well-connected in terms of sourcing for arms and so on and so forth, and today that guy is no more.
“It should be a different thing now, you know they (Sububu’s followers) don’t have what it takes, they don’t have the capacity like Halilu Sububu, so right now they are in total disarray, including the likes of Turji,” he added.
The Governor said that the killing of Sububu has brought some sort of calmness in Zamfara and other surrounding states that have been constantly terrorised by Sububu and his lieutenants.
He praised the Nigerian military and other security forces for their efforts in eliminating the notorious bandits’ kingpin.
Sububu’s killing
Sububu was killed on Thursday in an ambush by the troops in Kwaren Kirya, a community under Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
Halilu Sububu is an indigene of Niger Republic but resided in a forest in Zamfara State, and often escaped to the Niger Republic after operating in Nigeria.
Sububu is a notorious gunrunner who also owned a thriving illegal gold mining operation in Bagega and other communities around Sumke forest in Anka Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
Sububu had a camp on the western side of Bagega and controlled communities and all mining sites in the area.
He was declared wanted by the Defence Headquarters in May this year.
In a coordinated operation by the combined troops of sector one, Northwest Operation Hadarin Daji, the notorious bandits’ leader was killed alongside his 50 fighters.