Etim Effiong
Troops of 8 Division, Nigerian Army operating in Zamfara and adjoining states say they have made tremendous progress in the ongoing fight against banditry and other violent crimes in the North West.
The troops in a statement signed by Brigadier General Mohammed Yerima, the Director Army Public Relations said they successfully cleared many bandits’ camps in Jaya, Kadaya, and Bayan Ruwa amongst several others and successfully neutralised 48 bandits.
They added that the bandits’ leader in the area Jummo sustained a gunshot wound to his leg and 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.
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 stabilise the area to facilitate the return of socio-economic activities.
The General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 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.
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 Local Government Area 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,” the statement read in part.
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.