TheCable

Troops of the 1 Division, Nigerian Army have killed five suspected bandits terrorising some communities in Kaduna state.

Musa Yahaya, acting deputy director of army public relations, 1 Division, in a statement said the suspected bandits were killed during a face-off with troops on Friday.

He said the troops, “through heightened onslaught against bandits and other criminal elements terrorising the north-western part of the country, conducted clearance operations” covering Kanti-Tantatu in Kubusu forest, Kaso hills, and some other areas within Chikun LGA in Kaduna.

“During the operation which lasted several hours, troops dealt a heavy blow on the criminals, neutralizing five bandits,” Yahaya said.

He also said four AK 47 rifles, six AK 47 magazines, 24 rounds of 7.62mm, three motorcycles, one matchet, two handsets and some charms were recovered from the criminals.

He added that the onslaught by the troops deprived the criminal elements of freedom of action and further restored peace in the area, paving way for economic activities and legitimate businesses to thrive.

Yahaya called on law-abiding citizens to continue to support the troops and other security agencies with credible and actionable information that will assist in the fight against insecurity.

According to the statement, Taoreed Lagbaja, the general commanding officer (GOC) 1 division, who doubles as the force commander of the joint task force – operation Whirl Punch – commended the troops for their resilience and urged them not to rest on their oars.