Authorities in Saudi Arabia have reportedly arrested two women identified as the wife and mother of Ado Aliero, one of Nigeria’s most wanted bandit leaders. The arrests, said to have occurred in the holy city of Medina where the women were allegedly living under false identities, mark a significant development in the ongoing efforts to dismantle the support networks of notorious criminal elements operating in Nigeria’s Northwest.
Sources familiar with the operation indicate that the arrests followed a coordinated intelligence-led effort between Nigerian and Saudi security agencies. While Saudi authorities have not yet officially confirmed the identities of the detained women, Nigerian intelligence officials have described both as “persons of significant interest” in the investigation into insurgent financing and logistics.
Ado Aliero is widely known for his alleged role in a series of violent crimes, including mass abductions, killings, and raids on rural communities across Zamfara State and the wider North-West region of Nigeria. His prolonged evasion of capture has often been attributed to an extensive support network both within and beyond Nigeria’s borders.
Security analysts suggest that the arrests could provide crucial intelligence regarding Aliero’s movements, financial links, and transnational operations, potentially leading to a significant breakthrough in efforts to dismantle his criminal network. This development also introduces an international dimension to Nigeria’s security challenges, raising new questions about the global footprints of domestic terror cells.
Nigerian security agencies are reportedly working closely with their Saudi counterparts as investigations progress.
Aliero was among 97 terror suspects publicly declared wanted by Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters in March 2024, a list that included individuals accused of terrorism, insurgency, kidnapping, and other violent crimes. He was also infamously turbaned as “Sarkin Fulani” (Chief of Fulani) in the Yandoton Daji emirate of Zamfara State in July 2022, a controversial event that led to the suspension of the emir who conferred the title.
Wife, Mother of Wanted Bandit Leader Ado Aliero Reportedly Arrested in Saudi Arabia
