BREAKING: Police Kill Bandit Leader Behind Recent Killing, Kidnapping Operation On Abuja-Kaduna Road

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Officers of the Nigeria Police Force have killed in a gun duel the leader of the bandits who coordinated attacks in which an unspecified number of persons lost their lives and others kidnapped on Abuja-Kaduna highway on Sunday. 

SaharaReporters had reported that a former governorship aspirant also got killed in the incident. The bandits attacked several motorists on the highway and killed a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who was a governorship aspirant in Zamfara State, Alhaji Sagir Hamidu.

There are reports that bandits operated along the Kaduna-Abuja Road for four consecutive days.

However, the leader of the gang of bandits who led Sunday's attack, identified as Yellow Baba Arusa, has been killed, according to Daily Trust. 

It was learnt that a motorcycle and a rifle were recovered from the gang. 

Security agents were said to have waylaid five bandits around Kaduna South Local Government Area where the bandits had gone to buy alcohol and pentazocine; an opioid pain medication.

In a related development, the Kaduna State Government on Friday lifted the two-month shutdown of mobile phone services it imposed on September 30 due to recent attacks by bandits along the road.