Saudi Arabia – Security operatives have arrested two women believed to be the wife and mother of Ado Aliero, one of Nigeria’s most notorious bandit leaders, while they were performing Hajj in the holy city of Medina.
According to Daily Trust, the arrest was the result of an intelligence-led operation targeting a network of fugitives connected to the deadly insurgency ravaging Nigeria’s Northwest region. The women were reportedly living under false identities in Saudi Arabia, raising suspicions of broader support networks for armed groups operating in Nigeria.
Ado Aliero is widely known for masterminding mass abductions and violent attacks across Zamfara State and surrounding areas. His ability to evade capture has fueled concerns over the regional and transnational networks supporting Nigeria’s armed bandit groups.
The Saudi arrests mark a significant development in the international dimension of Nigeria’s security crisis. While the identities of the detained women have yet to be officially disclosed, intelligence sources suggest they could possess critical information on Aliero’s location and the financial lifelines sustaining his operations.
Back in Nigeria, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) also arrested a suspected kidnap kingpin, Sani Galadi, at the Sultan Abubakar International Airport in Sokoto on Monday morning. Galadi, who was about to board a flight for Hajj, was apprehended during a routine screening at the terminal.
His arrest follows the capture of another wanted kidnap kingpin less than 24 hours earlier at the Abuja Hajj camp.
Authorities say Nigerian and Saudi security agencies are working closely as investigations into the banditry network expand across borders.
