Army, Customs kill 39 bandits in North West, North East

The military, yesterday, said it had neutralised 38 bandits in the North-West geo-political zone.

The killings, recorded in the last seven weeks, also saw the Nigerian Army arresting 93 suspects, including logistics suppliers and collaborators, in its operation, codenamed Sahel Sanity.

Acting Director, Defence Media Operations, Brig.-Gen. Bernard Onyeuko, in a statement yesterday, said the onslaughts had decimated the hoodlums, resulting in improved socio-economic activities across the states in the region.

His words: “So far, in all the operations conducted between September 4 and October 25, 2020, 38 armed bandits were neutralised, while 93 suspects, including logistics suppliers and collaborators, were arrested.

“Relatedly, 30 Dane guns, 941 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition and five live cartridges were captured during various encounters with troops.

“Also, a total of 131 cows, 154 sheep/rams and one camel were recovered.”

Onyeuko added: “In all the search and rescue operations carried out, 108 kidnapped victims were rescued, 90 informants and collaborators, three rustled cattle marketers and 12 logistics suppliers were arrested.

“Also, a total of 10 bandits’ camps and their logistics bases were destroyed by troops of Operation Sahel Sanity.

“Relatedly, 47 bandits’ attacks and 31 kidnap incidents were foiled by the troops.”

IN a similar development, several were feared killed when thugs, who were on a looting spree of public and private facilities housing COVID-19 palliatives, attempted to seize the armoury of the zonal headquarters of the Nigeria Customs Service for Adamawa, Gombe and Taraba states in Yola.

But the Zonal Comptroller, Karamadeen Olumoh, confirmed the death of one hoodlum and injury to another currently receiving medical attention at an undisclosed hospital.

However, an officer, who pleaded anonymity, told The Guardian that scores of the invaders lost their lives in the futile plot.

Olumoh stated: “The only thing we can sacrifice our lives on is to prevent anybody or group of hoodlums to take over our armoury. We can resist that with the last drop of our blood because if that happens, nobody is safe in the country.

“Going after our armoury should tell you their criminal intention.”

He added that the organisation’s warehouse and office were completely looted.

“We, the security chiefs in Adamawa State, have just finished a security meeting with Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, and we have now resolved that we cannot fold our hands and watch hoodlums take over a constitutional government under the guise of protests,” the comptroller added.

The state police command, however, confirmed the arrest of 120 bandits, and joint patrol by security agents of the state capital to contain the development.