Scores of bandits operating in Walawa, Yadi and Kuduru hills in Kaduna State have been flushed out from their hideouts by Nigerian Air Force fighter jets.
Many of the bandits were killed and their logistics supplies were destroyed in the joint air and ground operation.
The Director, Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, in a statement, yesterday, disclosed that “the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), in a special operation conducted in coordination with the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies, has smoked out armed bandits from their camps at Walawa, Yadi and Kuduru Hills areas of Kaduna State, neutralizing several of them and destroying some of their logistics supplies in the process”.
He added that, “this was achieved in a joint air and ground operation executed, yesterday, March 17, 2020, after credible intelligence reports and days of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance missions revealed that the bandits, after driving away the original inhabitants of the area, had continued to operate from the locations with impunity.
“Accordingly, the NAF detailed its attack aircraft to conduct series of air raids at the bandits’ camps resulting in the destruction of some of the logistics facilities and structures housing the armed bandits as well as the neutralization of several of them.
“The air strikes also paved way for ground forces to conduct mop-up operations, supported by NAF combat helicopters. In all, no fewer than five commanders of Ansaru and a dozen armed bandits were neutralized in the operation”.
“The NAF, working in consonance with other security agencies, will sustain its operations to flush the armed bandits out of the North-West Zone of the country”.
Meanwhile, governors of the North-West states, yesterday, converged on Kaduna to review their security approaches in tackling the common challenges of banditry, kidnapping and other criminal activities.
All the governors of the seven North-West states were in attendance, except Kano, who was represented by the deputy governor.
Also in attendance was Governor Mohammed Sani Bello of Niger State, whose state shares same security challenges as the bordering North-West states.
Addressing the opening of the meeting, which later went into a closed door session, Chairman of the North-West Governor’s Forum and Governor of Katsina State, Aminu Bello Masari said, while the region had succeeded in fighting cattle rustling, new challenges of kidnapping and banditry have emerged.
He said the meeting was also to plan on ways to arrest the situation, explaining that, the acts of banditry unwanted destruction of lives and property in the states and the nation at large were worrisome.
Masari, however, said the meeting which is continuation of what has started since 2016 when the states were faced with cattle rustling, would be reviewing what had happen and the next step to be taken as governors and security chiefs.
According to Masari, “We were able to achieve certain level of success with regards to cattle rustling, but over time, the criminality has developed into kidnapping, banditry and unwanted and unwarranted criminal activities within our states.
“So, we thought it us wise we should come to Kaduna the old headquarters of Northern Nigeria to review what has been done. We are here to address North-West and Niger State and also the review what had happen and the next step to be taken as governors and security chiefs who are saddle with the responsibility of protecting life’s and properties of the people.”