Military: How troops wasted lives of 128 bandits

The Military High Command, on Thursday, revealed how its troops, both land and air, attached to Operation HADARIN DAJI, killed not less than 128 bandits and arrested 64 others across the North West and North Central zones of the country. Acting Director, Defence Media Operations, Brig.-Gen. Benard Onyeuko, disclosed this at Defence Headquarters, Abuja, while […]

The Military High Command, on Thursday, revealed how its troops, both land and air, attached to Operation HADARIN DAJI, killed not less than 128 bandits and arrested 64 others across the North West and North Central zones of the country.

Acting Director, Defence Media Operations, Brig.-Gen. Benard Onyeuko, disclosed this at Defence Headquarters, Abuja, while giving updates of military operations.

He said the troops resolved to waste the lives of those bandits because they are hell-bent in destroying the country.

Speaking on how the operation was carried out, Onyeuko said troops executed a series of land and air operations at Runka and Nasarawa villages in Safana Local Government Area and Kaiga Mallammai village, all in Katsina State.

According to him, the troops of Operation HADARIN DAJI eliminated 118, arrested 12 criminal elements and rescued five kidnapped victims across the theatre within the period.

“Within the period in focus, several airstrikes were executed on bandits’ enclaves, which inflicted heavy casualties on the bandits.”

“These include a location where a bandit kingpin, Bello Guda Turji, his subordinate commander, Bello Buza and other foot soldiers operating within Sokoto and part of Zamfa State, use as camp.

“The airstrikes resulted in the neutralisation of scores of armed bandits, including their key leaders and foot soldiers as well as destruction of their structures, equipment, weapons and logistic supplies.

“Troops have continued to heighten aerial patrols across the theatre to deny bandits and other criminal elements freedom of action in the zone,” he said.

The defence spokesman explained that in the North Central the troops of Operation Safe Haven rescued some kidnapped civilians and arrested criminal elements.

He noted that one of the arrested elements was John Paul, who deals in weapons and owns a mini factory where he fabricated arms and ammunition.