The Nigeria Army on Sunday said, its troops of Operation Sahel Sanity have neutralized several bandits leading to the rescue of kidnapped victims from their dens.
This was contained in a statement issued by the Ag Director Defence Media Operations, Brig. Gen. Benard Onyeuko.
According to the statement, “On 29 October 2020, troops swiftly responded to a distress call about bandits activities at Diskuru village in Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State.
The incident was recorded as the marauding bandits storm the village on several motorcycles, shooting sporadically with the intent to scare the locals and loot valuables.
On arrival, the gallant troops engaged the criminals in a fierce fire fight forcing them to withdraw in disarray. Resulting from the encounter, 3 bandits were neutralized by the troops as several others were believed to have escaped with various degrees of gunshot wounds.
During the exploitation phase, 2 additional bandits’ bodies were discovered along their withdrawal route. Also in the aftermath of the encounter, 3 women and their infants earlier kidnapped by the bandits were rescued from the criminals.
Troops continue to dominate the village and adjoining environment to deny the bandits any respite. Regrettably, one brave soldier paid the supreme price in an attempt to save one of the rescued nursing mothers in the heat of the encounter.
Relatedly, on 27 October 2020, troops deployed at Dan Ali village acting on reliable Information arrested 2 suspected bandits collaborators namely Samaila Usman and Idi Bello.
Suspects are in own custody undergoing interrogations before handing them over to appropriate prosecuting authorities.
To this end, the gallant troops of Operation SAHEL SANITY are commended for the successes achieved and their commitment. They are further urged not to rest on their oars until the Northwest zone is rid of all criminal activities.
Additionally, the good people of the Northwest are once more assured of the troops’ commitment to safety of lives and properties within the zone. They are also encourage to avail the troops with timely and credible Information that will assist in the conduct of their operations” the statement urged.
