Military Eliminates Over 100 Bandits in Zamfara Operation
The Nigerian military has dealt a decisive blow to banditry in Zamfara State, killing more than 100 armed criminals during a coordinated air and ground offensive on Makakkari Forest in Bukuyum Local Government Area.
The operation, executed in the early hours of Sunday, combined precision airstrikes from Nigerian Air Force (NAF) platforms with a relentless ground assault by troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA. The strikes destroyed dozens of motorcycles — the bandits’ primary means of mobility — and levelled their fortified hideouts.
Military intelligence had, for weeks, monitored unusual movements across the Sunke, Kirsa, and Barukushe axis, known hotspots for bandit activity. Surveillance reports indicated that over 400 fighters, led by some of the region’s most notorious kingpins, were gathering in Makakkari Forest to launch a retaliatory raid on Nasarawan Burkullu, a farming community in Bukuyum LGA.
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“They thought they could regroup, rearm, and strike again,” a military source told Zagazola Makama. “Instead, they walked straight into a well-laid trap.”
The operation began with low-flying NAF jets unleashing precision-guided munitions on identified clusters of bandits, based on intelligence from reconnaissance drones. The initial strikes neutralised several high-profile kingpins and scores of foot soldiers before they could return fire.
Those who attempted to flee the bombardment were intercepted by ground troops positioned in strategic locations, resulting in further heavy casualties.
Sources praised the “seamless synergy” between air and land components, which ensured that the fleeing terrorists were denied escape routes.
Beyond the tactical success, the military described the offensive as a clear signal of its determination to sustain pressure on criminal networks across Zamfara.
“Banditry thrives on fear and impunity,” the source added. “We are dismantling both, one operation at a time.”
By PRNigeria
