In a recent operation carried out by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), a targeted airstrike killed an unspecified number of bandits in Zamfara state, according to the trusted security reporter, Zagazola Makama. The operation, conducted as part of “Operation Hadarin Daji,” aimed to disrupt bandit activities and protect communities in the region.
Details regarding the exact number of casualties remain unclear. Zagazola Makama reported that the operation took place on March 27 in Tsafe County (local government area).
According to military sources, a group of bandits on motorcycles first was repelled by Nigerian Army ground troops at Gidan Giye in Tsafe. The bandits then called in reinforcements from a Zamfara forest to attack villages in Tsafe county. Acting on this information, the NAF successfully intercepted the movement and dropped three different types of explosives.
The strike reportedly destroyed about 37 motorbikes of the gang out of 50 motorbikes on the mission along with their riders. The survivors fled in different directions.
This airstrike comes amidst the ongoing efforts by Nigerian authorities to disrupt banditry and terrorism in northern Nigeria. Zamfara has been particularly affected by these criminal activities, with communities facing frequent kidnappings, cattle rustling, and extortion from farmers (see TruthNigeria investigation by Luka Binniyat and Mike Odeh James on this page).
—Ezinwanne Onwuka reports for TruthNigeria from Abuja.
