How Notorious Bandit Warlord Who Coordinated Kaduna Train Attack Was Eliminated

Kachalla Isuhu Yellow, a notorious bandit leader and one of the masterminds behind the deadly Abuja-Kaduna train attack of March 28, 2022, has been killed in Zamfara State.

The terrorist commander met his end during a violent clash with rival gangs, according to counter-insurgency expert Zagazola Makama, who cited intelligence sources.

“He was shot dead today at Dan Jibga Market in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State by gunmen loyal to another bandit warlord, Dogo Gide,” Makama disclosed.

The attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train two years ago claimed several lives and led to the abduction of dozens. Approximately 970 passengers were aboard when Yellow and his group bombed the rail line and stormed the train.

Prior to his death, Yellow reportedly engaged in a confrontation with security forces, including troops of Operation FANSAN, hybrid forces, and local vigilantes, around 5 p.m. in Keita village, under Tsafe District.

“In the aftermath of the encounter, 9 bandits were neutralized while three local vigilante paid the supreme price. Their leader Dan Isuhu sustained bullet wounds and fled,” Makama revealed.

But Yellow’s injuries made him vulnerable. He was later ambushed in a shop owned by a known luxury fabric dealer, Alhaji Dan Habu, where he had taken refuge.

“Dan Isuhu Yellow who was fighting too many enemies was later ambushed inside a shop… by another bandits fighters loyal to Dogo Gide who stormed the market and opened fire, ensuring Isuhu Yellow had no chance to escape.”

Makama also revealed that the killing occurred just two days after Yellow murdered another prominent bandit leader, Kachalla Bakin Sifindi, further fueling tensions among rival factions.

“On March 25, 2025, Isuhu Yellow killed Bakin Sifindi and one of his close associates near Sabon Birni, between the forests of Munhaye and Tsafe,” he said.

Dogo Gide, who commands significant influence in Zamfara and Niger States, reportedly took the killing of Bakin Sifindi as a provocation and moved quickly to retaliate.

“They already know that Dan Isuhu was hiding in the market after he escaped from the troops. Dogo Gide has been hunting Isuhu Yellow for a long time. After the attack on Bakin Sifindi, Gide’s men were determined to eliminate him. He let his guard down in Dan Jibga Market, and they got him,” Makama added.

Who Was Kachalla Isuhu Yellow?

Feared across Nigeria’s Northwest region, Kachalla Isuhu Yellow was a ruthless bandit leader responsible for numerous deadly attacks and kidnappings across Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, and Niger states. Operating primarily from the Munhaye forest in Tsafe LGA of Zamfara, he coordinated large-scale assaults on highways, villages, and urban centers.

His terror campaigns included repeated ambushes on the Gusau–Funtua highway, bloody raids on communities in Gusau and Tsafe, and incursions into Katsina communities like Faskari, Funtua, Bakori, Kankara, and Malumfashi. He also extended his operations into Kaduna and Niger States, often collaborating with other criminal factions.

Involvement in High-Profile Kidnappings

Yellow was linked to several major abductions, including:

• The 2021 kidnapping of the Emir of Bungudu, Alhaji Hassan Attahiru, on the Kaduna-Abuja expressway.
• The abduction of children from the household of Alhaji Abu Furfuri, where he allegedly collected over ₦60 million in ransom in 2022.
• The 2022 kidnapping of three female students from the Federal University Gusau (FUG).

Aside from orchestrating kidnappings, Yellow was known for targeting security personnel, staging ambushes on police and military convoys, and resisting repeated government-led offensives aimed at neutralizing him.

His death marks the end of a bloody chapter in the ongoing struggle against banditry and terrorism in Nigeria’s troubled Northwest.