Nigerian Army troops successfully eliminated four bandits and freed 20 kidnapped individuals in separate operations across Birnin Gwari and Giwa Local Government Areas in Kaduna State, as revealed by the State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, in a statement on Tuesday.
Aruwan explained that the missions, carried out by troops from Operation Forest Sanity and Operation Whirl Punch, led to the neutralization of the bandits and the rescue of the hostages.
The first operation took place in Alawa, Birnin Gwari LGA, where soldiers from Operation Forest Sanity launched a special clearance mission. During this mission, the troops set up a blockade, spotted bandit movement near Kwaga, and swiftly eliminated two of them. Recovered items from the operation included two AK-47 rifles, three magazines, three motorcycles, and a Baofeng radio.
In a separate operation, troops from Sector 6 of Operation Whirl Punch conducted a fighting patrol around Nakwakina village in Giwa LGA. Acting on credible intelligence, the soldiers ambushed bandits along a potential escape route, neutralizing two more and seizing two motorcycles, a cutlass, and a mobile phone.
Governor Uba Sani praised the security forces for their effective efforts, expressing his satisfaction with the outcomes and commending Major-General MLD Saraso, the General Officer Commanding, 1 Division Nigerian Army and Force Commander of Operation Whirl Punch, for the successful operations in the region.