82 Bandits Killed, 4,770 Terrorists Surrender In Zamfara, Borno

Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has said 82 bandits were killed during military airstrikes carried out in Zamfara State on June, 22, 2022 while 4,770 terrorists surrendered in Borno State.

The director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Benard Onyeuko revealed this yesterday in Abuja at the bi-weekly update on the Armed Forces of Nigeria operations between 16th and 30th June 2022.

He said 4,770 terrorists surrendered in Borno during the period under review.

General Onyeuko said troops of Forward Operation Base Bakura Operation “Hadarin Daji” on 21st June, 2022, responded to a distress call of terrorists’ activities at Rafin Dankura in Bakura local government area of Zamfara State where they engaged the bandits in a shootout.

He said the terrorists abducted innocent civilians, adding that after the encounter, troops rescued the six kidnapped civilians and neutralised two bandits in the process. Onyeuko said the troops recovered two AK 47, one 36 hand grenade, two cell phones and N211,915.

Similarly, on  June 21, 2022, troops made contacts with marauding terrorists at Maigora in Faskari local government area of Katsina State and neutralised two of them.

He said the air component of “Operation Hadarin Daji” on June 22, 2022, carried out air interdiction at Kofar Danya village in Bukkuyum local government area of Zamfara State.

Onyeuko said the airstrike was executed following a report of planned attack on Kofar Danya village, adding that “the air component mobilised to the location and sighted over 150 terrorists under a thick vegetation.”

According to him, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) platforms engaged the terrorists with heavy bombardment which destroyed their concentration camp.

“Consequently, credible feedback from the locals around Kofar Danya disclosed that over 82 of the terrorists suffered heavy casualties as many of them were neutralized while other sustained various degree of injuries,” he said.

In the North East, he said troops of “Operation Hadin Kai” rescued abducted persons, neutralized terrorists, and arrested  terrorists in the period under review.

He said troops of 152 Battalion at Buduwa in Bama local government area of Borno State between 17th and 18th June, 2022, encountered fleeing Boko Haram terrorists/Islamic State West Africa Province fighters and neutralised seven of them, recovered 14 rustled cattle and three bicycles. The troops also arrested some terrorist collaborators and logistics suppliers on  June 21, 2022.

“Mallam Abacha Usman was arrested at Benshek, Mallam Ibrahim Gira along Damboa-Biu Road and Mallam Ibrahim Gira a notorious terrorist petroleum supplier,” he said.

“Consequently, troops neutralised 11 terrorists, arrested 11 and recovered 14 rustled cattle, two AK-47 rifles, three bicycles, two locally made guns, 90 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, one Golf 2 car.

“Also, members of Boko Haram terrorists have continued to surrender to troops at different locations in the theatre between 1st and 15th June 2022, a total of 4,770 of them comprising 864 adult males, 1,415 women and 2,490 children,” he said.

He said all surrendered Boko Haram terrorists/Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) members and families were profiled and documented while all arrested and recovered items were handed over to the appropriate authority for further actions.