The Air Component of Operation Hadarin Daji has separately eliminated wanted terror kingpins, Halilu Buzu, in Zamfara State and Alhaji Ganai and his associate, Yellow Kano, in Kaduna State.
According to military sources, the terror kingpins and fighters were killed in two separate airstrikes following credible intelligence.
Halilu Buzu was killed on October 21, 2022 during airstrikes targeted at their logistics base in Maradun local government area of Zamfara State.
A senior officer said the airstrike was authorised after credible intelligence had revealed that a prominent terrorist, Halilu Buzu, of Sububu in Maradun LGA of Zamfara State had scheduled an early morning meeting with some of his foot soldiers in the area.
The intelligence had also revealed the location and exact position of his logistic base where he and his cohorts usually store their ammunitions, vehicles and other ill-gotten loots.
“Consequently, NAF aircraft were scrambled to simultaneously strike the location of the meeting and the logistics base.
“A huge fireball was observed after the strike on the logistics base, an indication that the location might have contained some inflammable substance,” the officer said.
The source said the attle Damage Assessment revealed the meeting location and the logistic base to be destroyed.
He said feedback recently received “has now revealed that Halilu Buzu was indeed eliminated in the airstrike alongside several other terrorist kingpins and their foot soldiers including Ceri, Dan’musulmi, Danbarkeji, Guguwa, Dan Sha Bakwai, Marshall and Hana.”
He added that, “Halilu Buzu’s elimination comes as a relief to locals residing in Sububu, Anka (Bayan Daji) and Bayan Ruwa axis in Zamfara State in view of his knack for terrorising and torturing his kidnap victims. Already his absence has reduced the frequency of kidnappings, cattle rustling and other terrorist activities in the area.”
He said similar airstrikes were conducted on November 14, 2022 at a location of a notorious terror kingpin, Alhaji Ganai’s enclave at Kidandan Forest in Giwa local government area of Kaduna State.
He said the airstrike became necessary after intelligence had monitored, tracked, and established trend of activities of Alhaji Ganai and his foot soldiers within the location.
He said the Air Component, therefore, dispatched an aircraft for destruction of the enclave, noting that overhead, “the fighter jet observed and attacked the target in successive passes.”
After the strike, some terrorists on motorcycles were trailed to a location and subsequently attacked.
“The aftermath of the strike revealed that structures within the location including Alhaji Ganai’s house and motorcycles were destroyed and many terrorists including Yello Kano, an associate of terrorist leader, Musa Balejo, and seven other notorious terrorists were neutralised after the strikes,” he added.
