Security personnel successfully thwarted an ambush by suspected bandits in Kwassau Forest, Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State, resulting in the death of a notorious kidnapper, Salisu Mohammed, also known as Dogo Saleh.
Mohammed, a feared hitman and a key associate of the wanted bandit leader Boka, was apprehended on January 9, 2025, at Gidan Abe in Kagarko LGA.
He was caught while travelling along the Abuja-Kaduna Highway toward Bwari Area Council.
His arrest was part of intensified efforts by security forces to dismantle criminal networks responsible for widespread terror in Kaduna State and beyond.
During interrogation, Mohammed admitted to orchestrating numerous kidnappings along the Lokoja-Abuja Highway.
He revealed that his gang, consisting of around 100 heavily armed fighters, frequently targeted motorists.
He also disclosed that his group possessed a large cache of weapons, including AK-47 rifles, General-Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs), and Anti-Aircraft guns.
Among the high-profile kidnappings he led was the abduction of a female police officer and her children, as well as a customs officer and his wife.
He further confessed to being behind the deadly attack on a naval checkpoint on January 5, 2025, which resulted in the killing of two naval personnel and the theft of their weapons.
Based on his confessions, security operatives launched an operation on March 4, 2025, targeting another notorious bandit leader, Abdu Musa, also known as Kanabaro, who had been terrorizing travellers along the Lokoja-Abuja Highway.
At about 11:01 PM, as the security team advanced toward their target’s hideout in Kwassau Forest, they came under heavy attack from armed bandits, believed to be Kanabaro’s men. The ambush appeared to be an attempt to free Mohammed from custody.
However, the security forces responded swiftly, engaging the assailants in a fierce gun battle.
Overpowered by superior firepower, the bandits fled into the forest, with several of them likely sustaining gunshot wounds.
In the heat of the crossfire, Mohammed was critically wounded—reportedly by his own allies amid the chaos.
He was rushed to Kubwa General Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead by medical personnel.
During the encounter, a security operative identified as Inspector Suleiman Adamu of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit sustained minor injuries but was treated and discharged.
An AK-47 rifle, along with a magazine containing two rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition, was recovered from the scene.
Following the failed ambush, security agencies have intensified patrols and surveillance operations in Kagarko LGA and along major highways to track down the fleeing criminals.
Authorities have reassured residents that efforts are ongoing to dismantle the remaining members of the criminal syndicate.
This successful operation marks yet another major breakthrough in the fight against banditry in Kaduna and its neighbouring regions.