Sokoto State police command in its onslaught against bandits, code named “Operation Sahara Storm” has killed 23 bandits in their camps in Illela, Rabah and Goronyo local government areas.
This came as the Nigerian Army said its troops conducting “Operation Hadin Kai” in the North East killed five Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists during encounters in Yobe and Borno States.
In the Sokoto raid, 37 others belonging to the Bello Turji bandit camp were arrested at camps in Bingo, Sangari, Dunawa, Tsamaye, Sakanau, Zangon, Mayel and Gudugudu villages. They were paraded at the command headquarters by the police yesterday.
Also paraded before newsmen were 20 others for offences ranging from criminal conspiracy, armed robbery, cattle rustling, culpable homicide and possession of prohibited firearms.
Items recovered from the suspected bandits include 32 AK-47 rifles, 2 rocket propeller-gun, one rocket launcher, 1,412 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition, 1,200 rounds of AA live ammunition, 4 locally made pistol, one beretta pistol, 3 pairs of army camouflage uniforms and 4 operational vehicles.
Other items paraded alongside the bandits are 10 cartons of Pentazocine BP 30 injection, 2 motorcycles, 3 AK-47 magazines, 33 live cartridges, 2 bow and arrows, cutlasses, handset phones and assorted charms.
Three trucks, two at Malumfashi, Katsina State and one at Ekpoma, Edo state, were also discovered in possession of Musa Kamarawa, who confessed to having been procuring arms and ammunition for bandits since 2018.
The deputy inspector-general of police (IGP) for Operations, Force Headquarters, Abuja, Ahmed Zaki Gwandu, told journalists that “all the suspects were linked to the notorious gang leader, Bello Turji and they all confessed to their complicity in the crime of banditry.
Meanwhile, in a statement issued by the director Army Public Relations Brig Gen Onyema Nwachukwu, he said troops of 120 Task Force Battalion, Sector 2, Joint Task Force (JTF), North East(NE) Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) in consolidating on their operational feat against Boko Haram and ISWAP on Saturday, 29th January, 2022, eliminated two terrorists in a fierce encounter at Goniri, Yobe State .
He said the troops in conjunction with members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) carried out a clearance operation code named “Operation DominaceI, along the insurgents’ route of manoeuvre at Ngirbua village, neutralised two BH/ISWAP terrorists while others retreated in disarray.
The troops recovered one AK 47 rifle, one FN rifle and a motorcycle.
Also, troops of Sector 3 “Operation Hadi Kai” deployed at Forward Operating Base Magumeri on 30th January, 2022, engaged Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists in Borno State while on a fighting patrol around Mallumti general area.
In Zamfara State police command has rescued 30 people kidnapped by bandits.
Addressing journalists in Gusau, the spokesperson of the command SP Mohammed Shehu said the victims were rescued at different locations in the state.
He said 10 of the victims were abducted along Sheme-Funtuwa Road while returning from Lagos on their way to their village in Birnin-Magaji local government area of Zamfara State.
He said, “On January 26, 2022, Police Tactical operatives deployed along the Mada axis acted on intelligence information and rescued ten kidnapped victims who were abducted along Sheme-Funtuwa Road in Katsina State on January 10 2022”.
Shehu further stated that another set of three victims who were also kidnapped along Sheme-Funtuwa Road were rescued by the police based on intelligence information.
He said the 19 kidnapped victims included 15 males and four females.
And as the death toll of those killed by terrorists at Galadima Kogo in Niger State increased to 20, Niger State government has confirmed that members of the joint security taskforce were among those killed.
LEADERSHIP gathered that the weekend’s attacks was chiefly targeted at the security Operatives and members of the Communities they considered informants of security men.
While describing the attack as unfortunate and regrettable, Governor Abubakar Sani Bello, said it would have been unsuccessful if villagers from Galape and Kudodo in Allawa communities had alerted the security agencies when they noticed the movement of the terrorists towards the town.
Governor Sani Bello urged villagers in the affected communities to endeavor to provide credible information to the Joint Security Taskforce stationed in the area adding that security agencies cannot perform effectively and efficiently without getting appropriate support and intelligence from the people.