EXCLUSIVE: Several miners killed in Zamfara as terrorist groups clash

Several miners have been killed by terrorists loyal to Bello Kaura, a notorious bandits’ leader in Zamfara State, last weekend.

Several local sources, including miners, told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr Kaura’s group launched the attack as part of an ongoing clash with another terrorist group led by Halilu Sububu.

Mr Sububu controls most mining sites in the Bagega and Sunke areas of Anka Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

In recent years, Mr Sububu, one of the most feared terrorists in the North-west, has turned to mining gold, assuming control of mining sites in the vast forest straddling the Anka-Maru – Tsafe areas in the state.

A PREMIUM TIMES investigation revealed how Mr Sububu uses local miners, including teenagers, to mine gold for him.

He has taken control of communities in western and eastern Anka, promising residents protection if they continue to support his mining activities.

Mr Sububu, also called Buzu, has close ties with Jihadists and other terrorists in Niger Republic, Mali, Libya and Burkina Faso. He also deals in weapons.

The Nigerian military has since declared him wanted for terrorism.

The attack

A resident of Dareta in Anka, Isa Dareta, told PREMIUM TIMES via phone that the attack by Mr Kaura and his fighters lasted for over an hour.

“The mining sites are all situated outside Dan Kamfani village, and the sites all belong to Halilu Buzu,” the source said. “On Saturday around 4 p.m, Bello Kaura led his fighters to the place looking for Halilu Sububu.’

Mr Dareta said the terrorists, on sighting people around the pits, started shooting at them.

“One of the mining pits caved in, but it was empty,’ he added.

A handful of bandits loyal to Mr Sububu, who were guarding the miners, fired back at Mr Kaura but were overpowered, forcing them to withdraw.

The bandits ran with their rifles, leaving behind their motorcycles and the civilian miners.

Mr Dareta, who lives not far from Dan Kamfani, insisted the attack was targeted at Mr Sububu himself.

However, a miner who worked for Mr Sububu in several mining sites said the civilian miners were the target.

“Halilu doesn’t live around the sites in Dan Kamfani. He has his camp around Bagega town and is living peacefully with people there,’ the miner, who asked for anonymity for fear of being attacked, said.

“Bello Kaura knows that Halilu was not around and decided to use the opportunity to attack the mining sites to instil fear in the miners. He wouldn’t dare to do that when Halilu was around.’

Two more sources, including a Fulani elder in the area, confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES that Mr Sububu was in Maradun Local Government Area during the attack.

“I can’t tell you how many people were killed, but we have seven dead bodies after the shooting,” Mr Dareta said.

The miner also said he couldn’t confirm the number of those killed.

Sworn enemies

Messrs Sububu and Kaura are sworn enemies, but this was the first time the two terrorists were engaged in a fight.

Mr Sububu, according to PREMIUM TIMES sources, was the first terrorist to embrace mining in the area. He left his base in Sububu and relocated to Bagega, a business community between Anka and Maru local government areas.

‘When he (Mr Sububu) started mining in Dan Kamfani, none of the terrorists in the area believed mining was worth pursuing. But when he started getting millions of naira, some of them started taking over pits far away from Halilu (Mr Sububu),’ the miner told PREMIUM TIES.

Mr Kaura’s elder brother, Alhaji Shadari, himself a notorious terrorist, was invited by Mr Sububu to stop attacking communities and embrace mining, but he rejected the invitation, according to the miner.

He said Mr Shadari, who the Nigerian military had killed, continued attacking communities.

“Bello (Mr Kaura) is angry with Halilu (Mr Sububu) for several reasons,’ the miner said. “Halilu is protecting most of the communities, especially in west and east Anka, forcing Bello to stop attacking people.”

He added that Mr Sububu has also assumed total control of most of the mining sites, making it difficult for other terrorists to have access to the mining sites.

“There was a time when Bello sent a letter to Halilu asking him to leave the area since he was not from Anka or Maru. He also asked for a share of some of the mining sites, which Halilu refused to grant him,” the miner said.

According to the miner, Mr Sububu has taken total control of mining sites in Bagega, Kwanta Kwanta, Damar Manu, Dareta, Kwayakwas, Dan Kamfani, Mai Galma, Tungar Daji, Dawan Jiya, Bawar Daji and Gobirawa

Terrorists in the North-west are turning to other sources of money to finance their terrorist activities.

In an earlier interview, Murtala Ahmed-Rufai, a researcher on banditry, told PREMIUM TIMES that terrorists are diversifying their operations.

“Bandits decided to join mining to diversify, especially because most of the communities they target are no longer financially strong enough to pay ransom or levies. Banditry has transformed from cattle rustling, abduction, kidnapping of school children, imposition of levies and tax to mining,” Mr Ahmad-Rufa’i said

Mr Ahmad-Rufa’i, the author of “I’m A Bandit ” and teacher at the Usmanu Dan Fodiyo University, Sokoto, said terrorists in the areas are joining mining because it has become more lucrative than kidnapping.