Arrested bandits leader lists gang members, recounts experience

The Nigerian Military has captured a dreaded bandit leader and cattle rustler, Alhaji Goma Sama’ila.

Sama’ila, was arrested in Kaduna State last Friday evening promised never to go back into the business of kidnapping and cattle rustling.

In a viral video,  the arrested bandits leader was seen pleading for mercy while being grilled by one of the security operatives who arrested him.

Having practised for 20 years, the 47-year-old bandit leader confessed to having kidnapped many people, with the help of his gang members.

He further listed the names of his gang members and their victims.

He said, “My name is Alhaji Goma Sama’ila. I am 47 years old. I have been involved in kidnapping.”

Speaking on his kidnap escapades, he said: “The first person is Abdul, his family paid a ransom of two hundred thousand naira (N200, 000), Alhaji Umaru gave us five hundred thousand naira (N500, 000), another person is Alhaji Birau, his family paid the total sum of three million naira (N3 million) and the other person is Alhaji Ibrahim who also paid seven hundred thousand naira (N700, 000).

“We have been chasing cows and all of us are from the North. People operating along this Ragachucku axis are: Lawal isah, Awalu, Bature Goma, Gamji, Sule, and the rest. They kidnapped someone and were given the sum of 10 million naira, they also killed one woman; that was the information we got about them.

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“In my group, the number of people working within Ragachucku axis are Yusuf, Sule, Gomi, Nasiru, Tukur, Banki, Magaji. Then in the Kirama axis, there is Musa, Kadi, Oria, Ibrahim, Bala, Rebo, Gaia, Malan, Usama, Babangida, Abubakar, and Sule, I forgot the other one’s name. He later left us to join Babangida, Suleiman, and Sule.”

He further pleaded for forgiveness, promising never to go into banditry again. “I promise this will be the first and the last and I promise never to touch anything belonging to anyone ever again. I am pleading for mercy and forgiveness and I will never commit such offence again,” he said.

One of the military men further asked if Sama’ila can take them to where the rest of his gang are operating and where they keep the arms used in operating, he answered in the affirmative adding, “Yes because anyone that stands for truth is always with God,” he said.

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Sources said that Sama’ila was responsible for organising several thefts of cows in Zamfara, Kaduna, Katsina, and other North-West states of Nigeria.

He was said to have participated in several abductions across the states.

Kaduna State has been plagued with several high-profile kidnappings, mass murder, and cattle rustling by bandits.

A source said, “Nigerian troops arrested Goma Sama’ila, one of the ‘most wanted” and notorious bandits’ leaders terrorizing Zamfara, Kaduna, Katsina and other northwestern states in Nigeria.”

qed