The women were said to have been apprehended in Medina after they were spotted in a mosque.

Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication focused on the Lake Chad region, had of two women believed to be Aliero’s wife and mother, and tagged the Nigerian Army headquarters on X.

Aliero, a suspected bandit leader, was turbaned in July 2022 as Sarkin Fulani in Zamfara state.

He was initially alongside 18 others by the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) in November 2020.

He was also among  97 wanted terrorism suspects in 2024.

When TheCable contacted Onyinyechi Anele, acting director of army public relations, for comments, she described the matter as “a strategic issue that involves bilateral security issues”.

She advised the reporter to direct further enquiries to the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) or the National Orientation Agency (NOA) for clarification.

TheCable reached out to Edward Buba, defence spokesperson, but had not received a response as of the time of publication.