The notorious bandit, Ado Aleiro, who was recently turbaned as Sarkin Fulani in Yantodo Emirate of Zamfara State, has said he did not request for the title.

The bandit, who has been accused of terrorising some parts of the North West, stated this in an interview with DW Hausa.

He said, “Honestly I didn’t solicit for the title, I was summoned by the Emirate which initially I rejected.

“After consultations with our leaders over the development, they suggested that I shouldn’t turn down the offer since the new emir insisted it had to happen in his emirate; that was how I accepted it.”

Aleiro also denied being the mastermind of killing of over 100 people in Kadisau village in Faskari local government area of Katsina state.

He said he did not know the person responsible for the attack, adding, “Please go and ask the village head of Kadisau; it was a reprisal attack, I wasn’t involved in it; I was just linked to it”.

When news broke that he was to be conferred with a title, many protested against it, but the turbaning ceremony held hours after the emirate announced the suspension of the process.

The decision to confer the title on the banditry kingpin was premised on the role he played during a recent peace process locally arranged between the emirate and the bandits terrorising Tsafe Local Government Area of the state.

Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara has since barred monarchs from conferring titles on anyone without approval of the state government. (Daily Trust, excluding headline)