Troops neutralize bandits, rescue kidnap victims in Kaduna

The Kaduna State Government said that troops of the Nigerian Army Operation Whirl Punch neutralized bandits several kilometers off the Kaduna-Abuja road.

“In the ongoing campaign of taking the battle to the doorsteps of the bandits, troops of the Nigerian Army Operation Whirl Punch neutralized armed bandits in a location several kilometers off Kaduna-Abuja Road,” Samuel Aruwan, state Commissioner, Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs, said in a statement.

According to operational feedback, the statement explained that troops, acting on credible intelligence, carried out aggressive fighting patrols to the Abasiya-Amale area located east of Polewire in the Kachia Local Government Area, where they engaged the bandits.

The statement explained, “In the fierce battle, the troops overpowered the bandits and subsequently destroyed their hideouts. Troops are still combing the general area at the time of this update, while the corpses of two neutralized bandits have been recovered.”

The statement stated that the recovered items were one AK-47 rifle, two magazines carrying 38 rounds of ammunition, and one cell phone.

It stated that there are strong indications that some bandits escaped with life-threatening injuries and might seek medical assistance in the general area.

To this end, the statement warned locals to refrain from rendering any assistance to questionable elements and should instead report such matters to 09034000060 and

08170189999 for prompt action.

The statement said that in another recorded breakthrough against the bandits, troops of Operation Forest Sanity responded to reports of an attack around Dende-Buruku Junction along the Damba-Dende-Buruku Road, Chikun Local Government Area.

It explained that the troops mobilized to the location and made contact with bandits at Rafin Kaura, adding that the bandits fled from the advancing troops, who then rescued two victims (Amina Kasim and Yunusa Usman) who had been kidnapped in transit.

“The rescued victims have been linked up with vehicles conveying them to their original destinations,” the statement noted.

It said the troops subsequently cleared the bandit camps in the general area.

Governor Nasir El-Rufai, on receiving the operational feedback, expressed gratitude and commended the officers and men of the armed forces and other agencies under the leadership of GOC One Division, Major General TA Lagbaja, presently pursuing the onslaught against bandits and terrorist elements.