Notorious bandit leader, Ado Aleru, has reportedly executed seven of his own fighters in Zamfara State over allegations of betrayal.

 

According to security analyst and counter-insurgency expert, Zagazola Makama, who disclosed the development via his X handle on Thursday, the executions took place across the villages of Takulawa, Turba, Bamamu, and the Yamma forest axis.

 

Sources revealed that Aleru accused the fighters of carrying out unauthorised kidnappings along the Gusau–Yankara highway, an act he considered a direct threat to his authority and criminal operations.

 

“He personally executed seven of them after confirming they were behind recent abductions of travellers on the highway. He feared their actions were drawing too much attention from security forces,” one source said.

 

The incident has reportedly triggered fear and discontent among Aleru’s loyalists, with many interpreting the move as a sign of growing mistrust and paranoia within the ranks of his criminal network.

 

Aleru, who has been declared wanted by the Federal Government, is one of the most feared bandit leaders in Nigeria. He has long been linked to large-scale kidnappings, killings, and cattle rustling across Zamfara, Katsina, and parts of Sokoto States. His notoriety grew to the extent that he was once controversially turbaned as a traditional leader in Zamfara, a move that drew nationwide outrage.

 

The execution of his own fighters underscores the deepening cracks and distrust within Aleru’s camp, even as security forces intensify operations against banditry in the North-West. Analysts warn that such internal purges could either weaken his group or trigger more violent reprisals in the already troubled region.