The Nigerian military on Thursday said troops fighting banditry in the North West on 17 September, responding to a distress call rescued eight kidnapped victims from suspected bandits at Fankama and Sabon Layi area of Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State.
The Coordinator Defence Media Operations, Major General John Enenche made this known during the weekly media briefing on military operations across the country at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja.
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He said this was as a result of actionable intelligence that bandits dressed in military camouflage uniforms were sighted with kidnapped victims, adding that, the troops responded swiftly and made contact with the bandits forcing them to abandon the victims.
He also said troops of Operation Sahel Sanity while on patrol at Chabas, responded to a distress call and rescued a truck driver, 11 women, and children who were on their way to Batsari Market but were kidnapped by suspected bandits along Shimfida – Gurbi road.
He said within this period, troops deployed at Forward Operations Base Dansadau arrested a suspected bandit on a motorcycle on his way to Dandalla village in Dansadau, Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State with one Pump Action rifle and 3 live cartridges carefully concealed in a bag.
He added that, the Air Component of Operation Thunder Strike killed several armed bandits and their meeting venue in airstrikes executed at Kwaimbana forest area of Kaduna State.
He said two gunrunners were arrested in possession of 1,620 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition at Kudaru Hill along Kaduna-Jos Road in Lere Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
He said preliminary investigation revealed that the ammunition was to be delivered to one bandit leader, at a location in Dansadau Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
He said, on 18 September, troops of Forward Operations Base, Burukusuma patrol team killed seven armed bandits at Magira village of Zamfara State.
He said on 19 September 2020, troops of Operation Hadarin Daji in conjunction with vigilantes arrested two bandits with N1.3 million at Baworaje village in TalataMafara Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
He said within the period under review in the North East a high profile Boko Haram Terrorists (BHT) commander surrendered with four of his wives to troops.
He said, troops also arrested one BHT fighter at Kamuya in Biu Local Government Area of Borno State and nine other criminals in Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State.
He said caches of arms and ammunition as well as equipment and motorcycles were also recovered.
He added that troops repelled BHT/ISWAP attacks on civilians and troops at Wajiroko in Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State on 17 and 20 September neutralizing several of their fighters and recovered arms and ammunition.
He said troops of Army Super Camp Malumfatori at the Lake Chad Basin conducted massive clearance operations which led to the destruction of several identified terrorists’ camps and hideouts located at Tunbun Gini, Tunbun Nbororo, Tunbun Kayoma, Tunbun Kaza, Tunbun Fulani at the fringes of Lake Chad in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State.
He said several top BHT/ISWAP terrorist commanders were killed during the successful operation including Abu Usman, Alhaji Shettima, Modu Mainok, Bukar Gana, Abu Summayya, Amir Taam and Amir Kuraish among others.
