Troops of Operation Hadin Kai, in collaboration with the Civilian Joint Task Force, have neutralised seven terrorists and recovered ammunition during a raid on an enclave of Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram insurgents in Gura Ba, Bama council area of Borno State.
Intelligence sources said the operation, conducted as part of Operation Hadin Kai under Operation Desert Sanity IV/Diligence Search, was launched yesterday. A security expert said: “During the operation, troops made contact with the terrorists, resulting in the elimination of seven insurgents, while others managed to escape.
According to the report, the troops recovered a significant cache of weapons, including two AK-47 rifles, four RPG bombs, 920 rounds of 12.7 x 108mm armour-piercing (AP) belted ammunition, six rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, 14 rounds of 5.6mm ammunition, one Dane gun and one metal prototype pistol
The sources further confirmed that there were no casualties among the troops. Meanwhile, an alleged notorious terrorist kingpin, Kachallah Bammi Yarma, who was jailed in Niger Republic in 2015, has been released after serving his sentence and has now returned to the Northwest region, specifically Katsina State, nine years after.
Yarma, regarded as one of the deadliest bandits in the region, was captured in 2015 during the tenure of former Katsina State Governor Aminu Bello Masari. His arrest was a breakthrough in the fight against banditry, as he was caught smuggling arms, using nine camels in Danmusa, Katsina State. At the time, authorities seized 1,000 livestock belonging to his network and disrupted a critical supply chain for bandit operations in the region. He was later convicted and imprisoned by the authorities in Niger Republic.
Intelligence sources revealed that he has reappeared in the Northwest, where he previously led violent attacks, mass kidnappings, and cattle rustling operations. His return has reportedly triggered fear, given his influence among bandit networks across Katsina, Zamfara and Sokoto states.
