Troops crush five infamous bandit kingpins, seize massive arsenal in Zamfara offensive
Army
Abdullateef Fowewe
In a major victory for security forces, troops of the Nigerian Army’s 1 Brigade have destroyed five notorious bandit kingpins and recovered a significant cache of weapons during a decisive operation in Zamfara State.
At dawn on May 1, 2025, soldiers from Combat Team 6 engaged a large group of terrorists who had invaded Mai Kwanugga village in Talata Mafara Local Government Area, attacking civilians and burning homes.
The fierce firefight resulted in the neutralisation of several insurgents, including high-profile bandit leaders Auta Jijji, Dankali, Sagidi, Kachallah Rijaji, and Kachallah Suza.
According to a statement by the Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations 1 Brigade Nigerian Army, Captain Suleiman Omale, reinforcements from the Brigade’s Quick Response Force and Special Forces pursued fleeing terrorists, recovering four AK-47 rifles, one PKT machine gun, two rocket-propelled grenade launchers, six RPG bombs, 28 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, and 43 PKT ammunition rounds.
Omale noted that the community members later handed over additional weapons and provided intelligence confirming the identities and deaths of the neutralised commanders.
Brigadier General Timothy Opurum, Commander of 1 Brigade, praised the troops’ courage and the local population’s support, stating, “The success of the operation was significantly enabled by the proactive cooperation of local residents, whose timely and credible reports were instrumental to the swift military response”.
He reaffirmed the Army’s resolve to protect lives and urged citizens to remain vigilant and continue providing reliable information to security agencies.
