Troops Kill 5 Bandits In Plateau

Five bandits, including their kingpin Kachala Saleh, have been killed by troops attached to the Forward Operation Base (FOB) of “Operation Safe Haven” (OPSH) stationed in Wase local government area of Plateau State.

LEADERSHIP reports that this incident occurred less than a week after bandits and vigilante groups clashed in the Dogon Ruwa community, resulting in four deaths.

Abdullahi Haruna, a local youth leader, told newsmen that the incident happened around 12 noon in Kinashe village, Bashar District, Wase LGA.

Haruna said the bandits, who posed a threat to residents’ lives, were caught off guard by security personnel, allowing for a resistance-free operation.

He said, “The village is a bushy area, and residents fled before the latest incident.

“Bandits have displaced people from the area, using it as a hiding place. The bandits didn’t expect security personnel to descend upon them at that time, given the area’s nature,” he said.

Although Haruna acknowledged that eliminating the bandits does not necessarily end banditry in the area, residents of Wase, particularly Bashar District, have commended the troops for the successful operation.

Our correspondent gathered that villages in Wase LGA have suffered from banditry for two years, resulting in numerous deaths, including security personnel.

When contacted, Operation Safe Haven’s spokesman, Major Samson Zhakom, neither answered calls nor responded to an SMS sent to him by our correspondent.