Get Guardian on Google
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has delivered a devastating blow to banditry in Katsina State, following airstrikes by the Air Component of Operation Fansan Yamma which was executed in the early hours of March 13, 2025.
A statement issued by the force revealed that the airstrike decimated notorious bandit hideouts in Unguwar Goga Hillforest, Ruwan Godiya Ward, Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina.
The force said the airstrikes, which preceded careful and actionable intelligence, destroyed the fortified camps of notorious bandit kingpins, Gero (Alhaji) and Alhaji Riga, neutralising over 20 criminals, with additional casualties reported in the surrounding rocky hills.
The force confirmed that Riga and Gero were key enablers of banditry, sheltering terrorist elements responsible for relentless ambushes along the Funtua-Gusau Road, particularly between Yankara and Sheme villages.
“Their elimination marks a major breakthrough in the ongoing military campaign to restore peace in the North-West. The NAF, in coordination with ground forces, remains relentless in its mission to eradicate all threats and dismantle bandit strongholds,” the force said.
