Troops of 1 Brigade, Nigerian Army have arrested a notorious bandit leader and arms dealer, Bako Wurgi, also known as Baka NaGarba.
Gatekeepers News reports that the suspect is said to be involved in the murder of Emir of Gobir, Isa Mohammad Bawa in Sokoto State.
Zagazola Makama, a counterterrorism and insurgency expert specialising in the Lake Chad Basin disclosed the arrest through his official X handle on Sunday.
Makama noted that the operation leading to Wurgi’s apprehension was carried out on Saturday.
He said intelligence reports showed that Wurgi was receiving treatment at a hospital in Shinkafi town, Zamfara State, for injuries sustained during a clash with a rival group.
Makama said, “Intelligence sources informed me that troops apprehended Wurgi after discovering he had been transported to the hospital with multiple cuts and gunshot wounds.”
Two of Wurgi’s accomplices fled during the operation. The troops however arrested another individual who had helped transport the suspect to the hospital in a tricycle.
The late Emir of Gobir was abducted on July 9, 2024, in Sabon Birnin Local Government Area (LGA), Sokoto State, and murdered on August 22 after ransom negotiations collapsed.
He said, “Reports indicate that Wurgi played a key role in the kidnapping and subsequent killing, which involved ransom negotiations that included cash and motorcycles but ultimately failed.”
Makama described Wurgi as an arms smuggler with international connections, adding that he is “reportedly related to Bello Turji, a notorious bandit leader, through his grandfather.”
