Troops Neutralise Terrorist Kingpins, Others In Kaduna Offensives

The 1 Division Nigeria Army Kaduna has reported significant progress in its continuous efforts to tackle insurgency in Kaduna State.

According to an official statement by the Director of Army Public Relations, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, on the X handle of the Nigerian Army, troops have achieved substantial victories in recent encounters across various areas of operations.

The statement reads in part, “While on a fighting patrol along Maganda-Dausayi-Mugaba axis, troops came under fire from insurgents who employed rustled herds of cattle as shields while they engaged the troops with direct fire. The insurgents whose number could not be ascertained fired several shots at the troops from the cover of the herds of livestock prompting immediate response from troops.

“In the ensueing firefight that lasted for about an hour, troops neutralised 2 of the insurgents and recovered 1 AK 47 rifle,1 AK 47 Magazine, 3 rounds of 7.62mm Special, 1 Techno phone, 3 Hilux and motorcycle keys, wraps of substance suspected to be marijuana, tramadol tablets and the sum of 13,200 Naira only.

“Unfortunately, in the encounter, some of the rustled livestock used as shield by the insurgents were caught in the crossfire. Troops are still on the trail of the fleeing insurgents and remain resolute on ridding the area of responsibility of armed violence.”

In a separate operation along the Bada-Riyawa axis on the Kaduna-Birnin Gwari Road in the State, troops successfully executed an ambush, resulting in the neutralisation of six insurgents. The recovered weaponry included two AK47 rifles, 5 AK47 rifle magazines, and 300 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition.

Notably, intelligence sources indicated that notorious bandit kingpin, Boderi, known for orchestrating high-profile kidnappings, may have been killed alongside another kingpin, Bodejo. However, verification efforts were currently underway to confirm the development.