The district head of Yankuzo in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State, Alhaji Babangida Kogo, who was abducted by armed bandits on Tuesday, has been released.
Sources say the monarch was taken by gunmen loyal to notorious bandit leader Ado Allero, who suspected the ruler of helping the Nigerian military carry out a deadly airstrike that killed dozens of bandits earlier the same day.
The abduction happened near the Mararraba axis as the monarch was fleeing his community shortly after the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) launched an airstrike on a bandits’ hideout between Yankuzo and Munhaye. The air raid reportedly killed more than 30 suspected bandits and injured many others.
Believing he might have provided intelligence for the operation, the gunmen picked him up for questioning. However, according to a security source, he was released late Tuesday night after the gang concluded he had no connection to the attack.
“No ransom was paid. They interrogated him and found that he had no hands in the attack,” the source said.
The monarch returned to his palace in Yankuzo on Thursday and has since reunited with his family.
Zamfara State has been plagued by rising insecurity, with several communities regularly attacked by armed bandits involved in killings, kidnappings, and cattle rustling. The military has continued air and ground operations to flush out the criminal gangs from the region.