Army Kill 53 Bandits Including 5 Commanders In Zamfara

Cat:

Related stories

TotalEnergies Warns of Looming Oil Glut

TotalEnergies (NYSE: TTE) reported on Thursday its weakest adjusted...

Furious Obasanjo Lashes Sam Jonah, Debunks Claim of Allocating 501-Hectare of Land for Estate in Abuja

By Abiola Olawale Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has denied...

Haunting Images In A World Of Criminalities By OWEI LAKEMFA

BY OWEI LAKEMFA Dogs, no matter how we view them,...

Senate Speaks on Rumors of Discord Between Akpabio, Bamidele

By Hamilton Nwosu The Nigerian Senate has debunked spreading reports...

The Nigerian Army on Sunday, disclosed that its troops of 8 divisions deployed to Zamfara State killed 53 bandits, including their 5 commanders during ‘Operation Mutane’.

The Director, Army Public Relations, Brig General Mohammed Yerima, Director, who made this known in a statement, disclosed the troops were able to kill key bandits’ figures including Yellow Mai-Bille, Sani Meli, Dan-Katsina, and Sama’ila Bakajin Bari during the operation which began on April 19 and ended May 3, 2021.

The ‘Operation Tsare Mutane’ was lauched by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru, as part of military response to the insecurity situation of Zamfara.

Yerima also stated that several Bandits’ camps were destroyed while sophisticated arms and ammunition were captured.

He, however noted that the Army troops couldn’t capture the main leader of the bandits identified to be Nasanda. He stated that the attempt to nab the dreaded leader was futile, however, he “narrowly escaped with fatal injuries”.

Speaking further, Yerima also disclosed that several ammunitions recovered from the bandits which includes,  “4,600 rounds of ammunition, two AK-103 rifles, eight AK-47 magazines, 1,628 rounds of AK-47 ammunition, fifty-four rounds of PKM as well as one motorcycle and five Techno mobile phones.”

Also, during the Operation, eighteen abducted persons were rescued by the Army troops from the bandit’s camps.

The statement reads, “Troops of 8 Division, Nigerian Army operating in Zamfara and adjoining States made tremendous progress in the ongoing fight against banditry and other violent crimes in the North West.

“The Division had earlier launched Operation Tsare Mutane following the directives of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru for the Division to stabilize the area in order to facilitate the return of socio-economic activities.

“The General Officer Commanding (GOC) the Division, Maj Gen Usman Yusuf launched the first phase of Operation Tsare Mutane which lasted from 23 March to 2 April 2021 in Maradun LGA of Zamfara State.

“The troops successfully cleared many bandits’ camps in Jaya, Kadaya, and Bayan Ruwa amongst several others.

“The troops successfully neutralized 48 bandits while the bandit’s leader in the area, Jummo sustained gunshot wound to his leg.

“The troops rescued 18 kidnap victims from the bandits’ enclave.

“Moreover, eight AK-47 rifles and one G3 rifle, as well as one PKT and a Machine Gun were recovered from the Bandits.

“Meanwhile, in continuation with the second phase of Operation Tsare Mutane, troops sacked several other bandits’ camps around Gabiya, Bozaya, and Mereri and the adjoining forests in Maru LGA of Zamfara State from 19 April to 3 May 2021.

“The areas which were heavily infested by bandits were successfully cleared by the highly spirited troops.

“Key bandits’ leaders including Yellow Mai-Bille, Sani Meli, Dan-Katsina and Sama’ila Bakajin Bari were neutralised in the process while the main leader, Nasanda narrowly escaped with fatal injuries.

“Equally neutralised in the operation was one Isan Heshi who is a close ally of a notorious bandit called Nagala.

“Isan Heshi was the second in command to Heshi before he joined Nagala following Heshi’s death in an earlier operation.

“Items recovered in the second phase of Operation Tsare Mutane include 4,600 rounds of ammunition, two AK-103 rifles, eight AK-47 magazines, 1,628 rounds of AK-47 ammunition, fifty-four rounds of PKM as well as one motorcycle and five Techno mobile phones.

“The COAS has congratulated the GOC and troops of 8 Division for the gains made so far and urged them to sustain their offensive operations until Zamfara and neighbouring States are stabilized.

“He further assured the GOC of his continuous support in achieving the overall objective of keeping the North West and the entire country free of terrorism, banditry, and other violent crimes.”

Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari had placed a ban on the mining of Gold and other precious metals in Zamfara State, declaring the state a no-fly-zone, in response to the security challenges erupting from the state.

According to reports, hundreds of people have been killed as a result years-long bandits’ attacks and millions of naira has been paid to the bandits who kidnap for huge ransom.

Abiola Olawale
Abiola Olawale
'Dotun Akintomide's journalism works intersect business, environment, politics and developmental issues. Among a number of local and international publications, his work has appeared in the New York Times. He's a winner of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Award. Currently, the Online Editor at The New Diplomat, Akintomide has produced reports that uniquely spoke to Nigeria's experience on Climate Change issues. When Akintomide is not writing, volunteering or working on a media project, you can find him seeing beautiful sites like the sandy beaches that bedecked the Lagos coastline.

Subscribe

- Never miss a story with notifications

- Gain full access to our premium content

- Browse free from up to 5 devices at once

Latest stories

NDN
Latest News
TotalEnergies Warns of Looming Oil GlutOlamide vs Charly Boy: Why Naming, Renaming Streets in Lagos May Violate the Law – FalanaFurious Obasanjo Lashes Sam Jonah, Debunks Claim of Allocating 501-Hectare of Land for Estate in AbujaHaunting Images In A World Of Criminalities By OWEI LAKEMFASenate Speaks on Rumors of Discord Between Akpabio, BamideleHunger and Food Crisis: Shettima Heads to Ethiopia for UN Food Summit(VIDEO) Tinubu Celebrates Super Falcons’ Historic WAFCON Victory via Video Call (VIDEO) Like Dancing Gov Adeleke, Wike Dances at UNIPORT’s Honorary Doctorate ConfermentRanked: Southeast Asian Countries by Wealth, Spending & SizeIntimate Affairs: When a woman padlocks her honey jar, By Funke EgbemodeWhat To Expect From Monday’s OPEC+ MeetingGarba Shehu Speaks on Buhari’s Medical Trips AbroadThai-Cambodian conflict pits a well-equipped US ally against a weaker adversary with strong China links2027 : Why Kwankwaso is Mulling Presidential Run, Triggers Conflicting SignalsAGF Fagbemi Warns Gov Adeleke: Refund 7 Months LGA Funds in line with Supreme Court Order
X whatsapp