Armed bandits have abducted Babangida Kogo, the traditional ruler of Yankuzo in Tsafe LGA of Zamfara state, just hours after a Nigerian Air Force (NAF) airstrike reportedly killed scores of terrorists in the area.
Kogo was said to have been seized on Tuesday evening along the Mararraba axis while fleeing his community over fears of reprisal attacks following the military operation.
Security sources said the monarch was intercepted by a group of armed men riding on more than 10 motorcycles near the abandoned farm of the late Malami Yandoto.
They said that while the district head was taken away, others in his entourage were spared.
The abduction came shortly after a precision strike by the air component of Operation Hadarin Daji on a gathering of bandits between Yankuzo and Munhaye.
The meeting was believed to be a celebratory event attended by fighters loyal to notorious kingpins operating in the Tsafe–Zurmi axis, including some who reportedly crossed into Zamfara from Katsina and Sokoto states.
Intelligence reports and aerial surveillance had earlier tracked over 100 armed men at the location.
The strike left dozens of the fighters dead, several injured, and destroyed many of their motorcycles.
“The impact was massive. Charred bodies and wreckage of motorcycles littered the area after the strike,” a security source told counterinsurgency expert Zagazola Makama.
The bombing triggered panic across nearby villages, prompting mass displacement.
Residents said the monarch was attempting to escape potential retaliation when he was abducted.
“We knew they would strike back. That’s why our district head was leaving. Unfortunately, he ran into them before reaching safety,” a Yankuzo resident said anonymously.
Local vigilante groups have launched a search for the monarch, while military ground troops have been deployed to prevent further attacks.