By: Our Correspondent
Shockwaves rippled across Zamfara State on Monday after notorious bandits’ kingpin, Ado Allero, who has long been at the centre of controversial “peace dialogue” initiatives in the North West, unleashed yet another wave of bloodshed—murdering a traditional ruler and abducting 40 residents during prayers inside a mosque.
The bloody attack occurred around 4:00 p.m. in Keta village, Tsafe Local Government Area, when heavily armed fighters loyal to Allero stormed the community in a brazen daylight raid.
According to eyewitnesses, the bandits brutally slaughtered the Hakimi of Dogon Dawa, the respected monarch of the area, before herding terrified worshippers out of the mosque and whisking 40 of them into the nearby forests.
Security analyst Zagazola Makama confirmed the incident, describing it as a “brutal, unprovoked assault that exposes the hollowness of ongoing peace talks.”
Trail of Blood Across North West
The massacre in Tsafe was only part of a wider string of coordinated attacks. Allero’s men have in recent days killed four farmers in Barikin Daji, Ruwan Gizo (Zamfara State), and ambushed and murdered two Nigeria Customs Service officers in Fingilla village, Dandi LGA of Kebbi State.
While peace emissaries gathered in Faskari, Katsina State, to negotiate a truce with bandits, gunmen loyal to Allero ambushed the convoy of the Commanding Officer of the 382 Army Regiment along the Sheme–Kankara Road. Troops fought back gallantly, repelling the assault.
Elsewhere, soldiers of the 17 Brigade laid ambush for armed groups near Gatawa village in Kankara LGA, recovering a motorcycle and a phone. Troops also thwarted a midnight raid in Sabon Massallaci village, Katera Ward, though the attackers regrouped to strike Gidan Dufe, killing a woman, injuring several others, and rustling livestock.
In yet another brazen strike, gunmen ambushed operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) at Dafa village along the Yantumaki–Danmusa Road, killing one officer and leaving four others badly wounded.
In Bukuyum LGA, Zamfara, 12 residents of Godai village were abducted, while four others were kidnapped in Tudun Moriki.
Peace Talks in Tatters
Ironically, the bloodbath came barely 24 hours after Ado Allero himself had expressed optimism during a dialogue session in Katsina, claiming peace was “within reach.” He blamed past failures on government actions, including the arrest of his son, which he said forced him back into banditry.
But his actions paint a different picture. Analysts say the latest carnage not only undermines the credibility of the fragile peace process but also proves that bandit leaders are exploiting government-backed talks to regroup and tighten their grip on rural communities.
For residents of Zamfara, Katsina, and Kebbi, the so-called “historic peace dialogue” has quickly become a grim reminder that terror continues to wear the mask of negotiation.
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