The Saudi Arabian authorities have reportedly arrested two women believed to be the wife and mother of Ado Aliero, one of Nigeria’s most dreaded bandit kingpins.
The arrest of the two women reportedly took place in the holy city of Medina, where the duo had been living under assumed identities.
Their arrest by the Saudi Arabian authorities is seen as a surprising international turn of events in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism.
Sources familiar with the case said that the two women were picked up in an intelligence-led operation believed to be connected to a network of fugitives tied to the Northwest deadly insurgency.
Ado Aliero, a bandit kingpin, is known for orchestrating mass abductions and violent attacks across Zamfara, Kebbi and Katsina States, has long been on Nigeria’s most wanted list.
Aliero’s rise in the criminal underworld has been linked to a web of local and transnational support, thereby raising fresh questions about the reach and financing of bandit networks.
Nigerian security agencies are said to be in close coordination with their Saudi counterparts as investigations deepen.
The identities and roles of the arrested women had yet to be officially confirmed as of press time, but sources suggest they might hold key intelligence to Aliero’s movements and funding.
This arrest could mark a breakthrough in regional efforts to dismantle the leadership structure of terror cells destabilising northern Nigeria.
…Sourced from ABC News
