Mohammed Munirat Nasir, Gusau
Troops of the Nigerian Army’s Operation Sahel Sanity have arrested a notorious dealer of hard drugs to bandit leaders and neutralised many bandits in North-West Nigeria.
A statement by the Acting Director, Defence Media Operations, Brigadier General Bernard Onyeuko, said the troops of Sahel Sanity have continued to decimate bandits and other criminals in the region.
Onyeuko said on September 29, troops arrested a suspected drug peddler, Yusufa Mai Unguwar Ahaska, from Dorayi in Unguwar Doka village in Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State, who confessed to being a drug supplier to bandit leaders such as Leko and others in the North-West.
‘On 2nd October, gallant troops deployed at Sabon Layi rescued four kidnapped victims from Giruwa village of Dandume local government area of Katsina State following Artillery bombardments on suspected bandits’ location at Unguwan-Doka village which resulted in neutralizing four of the bandits while others escaped into the forest,’ he said.
The Acting Director said on 28th September, troops deployed at Forward Operation Base Moriki in Zurmi local government area of Zamfara state rescued a kidnapped victim named Ismaha who was kidnapped about three weeks ago while travelling from Sabon Pegi to Kucheri in Tsafe local government area of Zamfara State.
‘On 25th September, troops deployed in Kauran Namoda in Zamfara State successfully intercepted a herd of 30 suspected rustled cattle while the suspects fled into the bush abandoning the animals,’ he said.
Onyeuko said on 1st October, troops while on routine patrol along Faskari – Yankara road in Katsina state arrested a bandit informant, Idris Yahaya spying on troop’s activities.
‘On same day troops deployed at Maigora arrested one bandit collaborator called Buhari Adamu at Machika in Dandume local government area of Katsina State confessed to have once taken ransom fee to bandits in Madachi Forest,’ he said.
Onyeuko said on 27th September, troops on a snap roadblock arrested one Ahmadu Rufai suspected to be a bandits logistics supplier and recovered one dagger, charms, one bag of groundnut mixed with okra and four bags of millet believe to be on transit to a bandits hideout.
‘On 28th September, troops deployed at Forward Operation Base Dan Ali rescued a female kidnap victim one Rasila (15 years) who was abducted in a farm at Tashar Biri village in Katsina State,’ he said.
He said on October 3, the vigilant troops arrested three kidnappers in Musawa Local Government Area of Katsina State and recovered one locally-made gun, three mobile phones and one motorcycle.
‘On 25th September, troops responded to a distress call on activities of some cattle rustlers in Kurfi local government area of Katsina State which led to the smashing of the criminal syndicate with an attendant casualty on the criminals while 43 cows, 6 goats and 8 sheep, as well as twice Dane guns, were recovered from the fleeing rustlers,’ he said.