In a significant victory for security forces, Bello Kaura, a notorious bandit leader who has long been a source of terror for the residents of Anka Local Government Area in Zamfara State, has been neutralized. According to reports, Kaura was killed during an ambush operation carried out by the Nigerian Army on Tuesday morning. The successful operation resulted in the elimination of several bandits, marking a substantial blow to criminal activities in the region.

The news was initially revealed in a post by security analyst Bakatsine on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle. Bakatsine confirmed that Bello Kaura, a notorious figure known for his reign of terror in the Anka region, was among those neutralized during the military operation. “Yesterday morning, the Nigerian Army launched an ambush on Bello Kaura’s camp in Anka LGA, Zamfara State. During the operation, they eliminated several bandits, including the notorious leader, Bello Kaura, who had long terrorized the people of Anka,” Bakatsine stated.

In related news, the Nigerian government has issued a stern warning to illegal miners operating in Zamfara State, demanding their immediate departure from all mining sites. Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, conveyed this directive in a statement released on Tuesday through his spokesperson, Segun Tomori. The urgency of this warning is underscored by recent reports of lead poisoning outbreaks in the Bugundu Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

Dr. Alake emphasized that all mining activities in Zamfara State remain suspended until the release of standard operating procedures designed to guide the resumption of exploration activities. He attributed the recent outbreak of lead poisoning to the flagrant violation of the ban on illegal mining, facilitated by the negligence of traditional and local institutions. He stressed the importance of respecting constituted authorities and regulations, cautioning that negligence and abdication of responsibilities would lead to dire consequences. “However, where they demonstrate wilful negligence and abdicate their responsibilities, they perpetrate a state of anomie with dire consequences, as we are witnessing in this case,” he stated.

The Minister outlined plans to address the situation, indicating that reports from experts and ministry officials would recommend specific interventions to prevent future calamities. He called for collective action to expel illegal miners from all areas of Zamfara State to safeguard innocent citizens endangered by the reckless pursuit of profit by a few individuals. “We must work together to kick out illegal miners from all corners to protect the lives of innocent citizens endangered by the desperation of a few individuals to make money at all costs,” he added.