Suspended emir who turbaned notorious bandit leader reinstated by Zamfara govt

The suspended Emir of Yandoto, Alhaji Aliyu Marafa who was suspended for turbaning and honouring a notorious bandit kinpin, Ado Aleru has been recalled and fully reinstated by Zamfara State government.

The embattled emir was asked to step aside following a backlash after he turbaned a terrorist kinpin which Zamfara State government denied involvement, saying the emir acted on his own.

CAPITAL POST recalled that the notorious terrorist, Ado Aleru, was turbaned as the Sarkin Fulanin Yandoto.
The terrorist was said to have abducted thousands of people in Zamfara and coordinated attacks on several north west States, after which the gangster would rape and maim victims.

However, the emirate believes that crowning Aleru was an effort to bring attacks on Zamfara communities to an end.

On Sunday, in a statement by the Secretary to the State Government, Kabiru Balarabe, the government said it took the decision to reinstate the emir based on the recommendations of the panel constituted to investigate the circumstances leading to the event.

He said the committee gathered that what the emirate council did was to forestall attacks and other terror activities.

“The committee found no evidence of any ill motive or collaboration between the Emir and the bandit.

“Based on the findings of the committee, the traditional title was conferred on the repentant bandit as part of peace-building efforts between the repentant bandit and banditry-affected communities in Tsafe and Gusau Local Government Areas, which include Yandoto town,” the SSG said in the statement.

Mr Balarabe said the reinstatement takes immediate effect.

Mr Aleru is one of the leaders of terror groups in north-west Nigeria.

He is known to operate in Tsafe local government of Zamfara and Faskari in neighbouring Katsina State.

His armed group is believed to be responsible for the recent abduction of 85 residents of the Wanzamai community.

Zamfara, like other states in north-west Nigeria, has witnessed several attacks by terror groups, locally called bandits.

Thousands of people have been killed or kidnapped by the groups in the past year.