Abductor of Kankara schoolboys shot dead

Four days after he renounced his earlier repentance and returned to the forest, Auwal Daudawa, best known for his role in the abduction of the 300 schoolboys in Katsina State, has been killed in a rival fight.

Reliable sources informed Daily Trust Saturday that Daudawa was shot dead Friday evening during a gun duel with a rival gang at Dumburum forest, located between Zurmi Local Government in Zamfara State and Batsari Local Government in Katsina State.

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The notorious bandit became known after he masterminded the attack on Government Secondary School, Kankara, where he abducted over 300 schoolboys overnight.

Two months later, he appeared in Gusau, along with five of his men, announced his repentance and handed over 20 AK rifles and other weapons to the police.

On Thursday, Daily Trust exclusively reported Daudawa’s return to the trenches after he vacated his new abode in Damba, in the outskirts of Gusau.

Sources told our reporter that Daudawa was killed while leading his men on a revenge attack on boys loyal to another bandit called Ballolo.

It was gathered that while Daudawa was in Gusau following his repentance, some armed members of the Ballolo camp attacked the position of his men in an attempt to rustle their cattle, killing two of Daudawa’s gang members in the process. He was said to have vowed to retaliate.

A source told Daily Trust Saturday last night that while Daudawa’s gang succeeded in killing some persons in the opposing group, their leader was felled by bullets of Ballolo’s boys.

Analysts had said that Daudawa’s going back to the forest would affect the controversial peace deal and amnesty for bandits being championed by the Zamfara State Governor,  Bello Matawalle.

A prominent bandit in the state, Shehu Rekeb, told Daily Trust that more repentant gunmen will move back to the forest to avoid being targeted. He accused government of insincerity in its dealing with the Fulani armed men.

A senior security official told Daily Trust last night that the collapse of the pact was only predictable as it was not premised on a sustainable framework.

The governor had on assumption of office two years ago re-introduced the amnesty window, urging armed Fulani youths who have been terrorising rural communities in the state to lay down their arms.

In opting for amnesty, Matawalle was toeing the path followed by his predecessor Abdulaziz Yari who in 2018 announced a N1 million prize on each AK47 rifle turned in by the bandits. The pact was however short-lived.

Confirming the story to Daily Trust Saturday last night, Zamfara’s Commissioner for Security and Home Affairs, Abubakar Dauran saud Daudawa was killed after he killed somebody and rustled his cattle.

“After he swore by the Qur’an never to go back to his old ways, we heard that he went back under the guise of going to attend wedding of his relatives but he instead resumed his illegal activities.

“We heard that he killed someone and attempted to rustled his cattle but the other people in the forest rose up to him and killed him in the process,” he said.