Mr Sububu had, in his last video, listed Mr Black among the kingpins he urged to stop attacking the Fulanis and communities that did not threaten their criminal enterprises.

Ten days after a leading terrorist in North-west Nigeria was killed by soldiers, vigilantes from Tashar ‘Yar Sahabi in Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State have killed one of his allies, Sani Black.

Local sources told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr Black was trailed and ambushed on Monday around Wakilai and Tungu in Dansadau Emirate of Zamfara.

Seven of his foot soldiers were also killed in the ambush.

Mr Black was one of the pioneers of terrorism in Zamfara and a protege of the late Tsoho Buhari. He was also a close ally of Mr Sububu, who was also killed in an ambush on 13 September.

In his last video, Mr Sububu advised Mr Black and other terrorists to stop attacking the Fulanis and communities that did not threaten their criminal enterprises.

Residents said Mr Black was killed by the vigilantes after monitoring his movements for over 24 hours. They reported the incident to the military formation in nearby Hannu Tara.

A resident of the area, Nuhu Dansadau, said before the soldiers arrived in the area, however, the bandits took away the bodies.

Mr Dansadau, who is a member of the International Human Rights, Crime Control and Conflict Resolution, said Mr Black terrorised Dansadau Emirate from a hideout in the Bindin forest in the area.

When contacted Tuesday afternoon, Suleiman Omale, the spokesperson for Operation Hadarin Daji in Zamfara, said he had yet to receive communication about the development.

Who was Sani Black?

He was of the Fulani stock known as Zamfarawa. He was said to be the most senior bandit in the camp of the late Buhari Tsoho, aka Buharin Daji, whom Dogo Gide killed in 2018.

For this reason and others, Messrs Black and Gide hunted each other.

Mr Black had hundreds of fighters in his camp. In March, several terrorists loyal to one of the late terrorist leaders, Damina, joined the camp in the Dansadau Emirate.

Following the killing of Tsoho Buhari, Mr Black and Damina allied with other criminals against Mr Gide, whom they vowed to kill.

Mr Black’s known forest hideout was the Bindin forest. Unlike other gang commanders, Mr Black rarely traveled beyond the Dansadau Emirate for fear of attack by Mr Gide’s fighters.