No fewer than 13 armed bandits have been killed by the military under Operation Hadarin Daji in several villages in the war theatre area covering the three states of Zamfara, Katsina and Kebbi.
This is confirmed to newsmen in Gusau by the Acting Force Information Officer of the operation, Capt. Abayomi Orii-Orisan, in a statement on Friday.
He said that the operations also resulted in the interception of large cache of ammunitions, 4,630 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunitions around Moriki town in Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara where many other bandits were fatally wounded.
He further said eight suspected bandits, including a female, were arrested along with the recovery of seven AK-47 rifles, eight loaded magazines, 22 motorcycles, two Dane guns, four GSM phones and 30 jerrycans of petrol.
According to Orii-Orisan, the operations bursted a drugs counterfeiting cartel where 350 cartons of fake drugs were recovered.
He said the joint operations involving Army, Air Force, Police, DSS, Civil Defence and other sister security agencies were carried out in all the areas of coverage between the Feb. 10 and Feb. 20.
He named affected villages, local government areas and states to include Tungar Mata, Tuduki, Kawaye and Mararaban Kawaye villages in Anka Local Government Area, Moriki town, Belhi, Ruwar Kura, Kyaram, Gallai and Shirkai villages of Bukkuyum Local Government Area, all in Zamfara State.
Tsauwa, Dankar and Yan Gayya villages of Batsari Local Government Area of Katsina State, and Gallai, Shirkai and ‘Yarkuka villages in Kebbi State.
He said while the joint operations commander and Acting General Officer Commanding 8 Division of the Nigerian Army, Sokoto, Brig.-Gen. Aminu Bande, assured members of the public of the determination of all personnel in the operation to rid the area of all criminal elements.
He equally advised the bandits to lay down their arms and embrace peace or face the consequences.
