Troops of the Joint Task Force in the North-West, Operation Fansan Yamma (OPFY), killed 168 bandits, including some of their leaders, between January 1 and December 31, 2025.

The troops also arrested 357 bandits’ collaborators and logistics suppliers, and rescued 1,624 kidnapped victims in the OPFY area of responsibility during the period.

The Theatre Commander of the operation, Maj.-Gen. Warra Idris, disclosed this while interacting with Defence Correspondents from Abuja, who were on a tour of some states covered by the Joint Task Force.

He said the rescued victims included a retired senior military officer and two serving soldiers.

Idris added that, in the period under review, 104 assorted weapons, 209 AK-47 rifles, 3,845 rounds of ammunition, two rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) bombs and 1,731 rustled livestock were recovered.

He said that within the period, the Air Component of Operation Fansan Yamma played a critical role through intensive air interdiction missions, executing a total of 468 sorties that neutralised several terrorists, degraded their strongholds and disrupted their supply routes across the theatre.

“Most recently, troops rescued the 24 kidnapped girls of the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School (GGCSS), Danko, in Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State, alongside the foiling of several kidnapping attempts, particularly in the Gwara axis.

“Since its inception in January 2025, Operation Fansan Yamma has maintained sustained pressure on terrorists’ and bandits’ networks across Sectors 1, 2 and 3, significantly degrading their operational capabilities and restoring confidence among affected communities.”

Outlining future operational projections, he said the Theatre Command would continue to sustain offensive operations, strengthen long-range patrols and intensify actions in remote and hard-to-reach areas to dismantle remnants of terrorist and bandit enclaves and secure vulnerable communities.

Idris thanked the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, for his constant support and strategic guidance, and assured him of the Theatre’s commitment to eradicating the menace of terrorism and banditry from the North-West in order to restore lasting peace and security in the region.

Meanwhile, troops of Sector 1, Operation Fansan Yamma, foiled a bandits’ attack on January 22, 2025, killing one terrorist during a snap ambush operation conducted in the Maraban Rido general area of Kaduna State.

This followed a distress call indicating the presence of armed bandits who had rustled some livestock in Anguwan Fulan village within the Rido general area.

Acting swiftly on the intelligence, the troops deployed to the area with the aim of conducting a hasty ambush.
They made contact with the fleeing bandits and engaged them with superior firepower, forcing the criminals to withdraw in disarray with gunshot wounds.

The troops further conducted aggressive exploitation of surrounding forested areas, including the Kankomi Forest, where another contact was made at a suspected crossing point around Anguwan Sarki.