By Chuks Oyema-Aziken
Troops have arrested the second-in-command to a notorious bandit kingpin, Kachalla Auta, alongside his wife in Gombe State following a coordinated intelligence-led tracking operation.
Security sources said the suspects, identified as Bala—popularly known as “Pakapaka”—and his wife, Zulaha Bala, were intercepted after fleeing from Dajin Madam Forest in Plateau State.
The arrests were achieved through sustained surveillance and ground tracking operations targeting fleeing members of the criminal network across multiple locations.
Both suspects are currently in custody and undergoing interrogation to establish their roles in the group’s activities and possible links to other criminal cells operating within and outside the region.
In a related development, troops conducted follow-up patrols around Bayar village in the Duguri axis after intelligence indicated that the main bandit leader may have moved into the area.
However, the search operation yielded no contact, suggesting the suspect may have escaped further.
Security sources said troops have maintained a strong presence in the general area, with sustained patrols aimed at denying criminal elements freedom of movement and disrupting their networks across Plateau, Taraba, and adjoining states.
