Nigerian soldiers kill another bandit kingpin, Kachalla Gudau

The Kaduna State Government on Wednesday said Nigerian security forces have killed a dreaded terrorist, Kachalla Gudau.

“Mr Gudau, a dreaded bandit who commanded a large number of foot soldiers carrying out kidnappings and killings in Chikun, Kachia and Kajuru local government areas was among the bandits killed by troops of the Nigerian Army on Sunday, at Kankomi in Kaduna State,” said Samuel Aruwan, the state’s Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs.

“Diligent exploitation of human intelligence networks corroborated other pieces of available intelligence, which confirmed that Gudau was indeed one of those felled by the bullets of the courageous troops as they repelled an attack led by the notorious bandit himself, ending his ignoble reign of brutality and evil,” Mr Aruwan added.

He said the remains of the terrorist has been retrieved by members of his gang from the Kankomi forest where he bled to death.

Mr Aruwan said credible sources reported that after his remains were retrieved, a large number of bandits under his command buried him in a location said to be around Kaku forest situated in the Kaso, Chikun Local Government.

Another terrorist who was killed in the encounter was ‘Rigimamme’ one of Gudau’s trusted lieutenants, Mr Aruwan added.

He said Mr Gudau played leading roles in the kidnappings of students and expatriates in Kajuru, Chikun and Kachia councils.

He said the terrorist is notorious for killing hostages who tried to resist being abducted.

Cattle rustling and drug kingpin

Mr Aruwan said the late terror kingpin was also a notorious cattle rustler and drug dealer.

“Added to these nefarious activities, Mr Gudau was engaged in coordinated attacks on herder settlements, disposing them of livestock, which made him the illegal possessor of large herds of cattle. These he regularly traded for amounts running into millions of naira. He also made deals for illicit drugs and acquiring sophisticated arms and ammunition.

“The high point of his cattle rustling spree came in the first and second quarters of 2022, wherein Kajuru LGA alone, Gudau and his partners rustled 1,600 and 3, 332 cattle respectively, a total of 4,932 cows stolen in the first six months of 2022.

“With the ongoing aggressive kinetic operations, Gudau’s cattle rustling – in Kajuru local government area in particular – began to wane, as 132 cattle were rustled in the third quarter of 2022 (the period spanning July, August and September).

“The heat of the kinetic operations which denied his bandits freedom of action may have prompted the attack on the military base in Kankomi, where he met his waterloo.

“The resolve of Governor Nasir El-Rufai to pursue the containment of terrorism, and all forms of crime threatening the security and safety of citizens, remains unshakeable. The government of Kaduna State under his watch will continue to support security forces on all fronts.

“The inglorious end of Kachalla Gudau is a welcome development and a clear statement that those who pose a threat to security and safety will certainly have a date with history and will be made to face justice or their bitter end, no matter how distant it might seem,” the official’s statement said.