By Muhammad Abubakar
Yellow Danbokkolo, the notorious bandit kingpin long feared across eastern Sokoto and parts of Zamfara State, has died from injuries sustained during a fierce confrontation with Nigerian security forces last week.
His death was confirmed by Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Print Media, via a post on his verified social media account. According to Abdulaziz, Danbokkolo succumbed to his wounds on Sunday.
Danbokkolo, widely considered even more dangerous than the infamous Bello Turji, was linked to numerous deadly attacks in the region. He was the mastermind of the gruesome December 2021 arson attack in Shinkafi, Zamfara State, where dozens of travellers were burned alive.
Security sources say the bandit leader’s reign of terror was sustained by a chronic addiction to pentazocine, a powerful opioid, which he reportedly abused in heavy doses.
Residents of the affected communities have expressed relief at the news, hoping it marks a turning point in the fight against rural banditry in Nigeria’s northwest.