Kachalla Sharme, a notorious bandit commander, has been killed in a violent clash between rival gangs in Kaduna State, according to the state’s Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan.
Aruwan revealed in a statement on Monday that Sharme was killed in a gunfight at Hambakko, located in the Rijana and Kaso Forests, which span the Kachia, Chikun, and Kajuru Local Government Areas. The clash, which occurred on Saturday, also claimed the lives of two other bandits, while five others sustained life-threatening injuries.
Sharme and his gang were linked to numerous criminal activities in Kaduna and neighboring states, including the infamous July 2021 abduction of 121 students from Bethel Baptist High School in Kujama. Aruwan described Sharme’s death as a significant breakthrough in the fight against banditry, particularly in the Northwest region.
Security forces had been tracking Sharme, who had previously eluded capture, and his death marks a major victory in the ongoing efforts to combat banditry in the area. The commissioner urged residents to report any suspicious individuals seeking medical treatment for gunshot wounds, ensuring that such information would be handled confidentially.
The statement read, “Following a thorough operation and extensive use of human intelligence, it is confirmed that the notorious bandit commander Kachalla Tukur Sharme, along with other bandits, was killed in a fratricidal clash. Aside from Sharme, two members of a rival gang were also killed, and some kidnapped victims managed to escape during the fight.”
Aruwan added that five bandits were critically injured and are believed to be hiding in the area, seeking medical help. He also emphasized Sharme’s responsibility for numerous attacks and kidnappings, including assaults in Millennium City, Maraban Rido, Kujama, and other regions across Kaduna and beyond.
One of Sharme’s most heinous acts, the commissioner noted, was the 2021 kidnapping of 121 students from Bethel Baptist High School. In a separate incident during efforts to repel his gang, two security personnel lost their lives.
The commissioner issued a stern warning to residents of the affected areas, urging them not to assist anyone with suspicious injuries and to promptly report such cases to security authorities.
Residents can reach the Kaduna State Security Operations Room at 09034000060 or 08170189999 for immediate reporting.
