Troops of the Nigerian Army have reportedly killed several bandits during a clearance operation in the Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna state.
During the operation, a notorious bandit, Boderi Isiya, was reported to have narrowly escaped being neutralized, while his deadly second in command, Musti, and several other fighters were gunned down by the troops.
A statement by the Kaduna state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, said Musti and Boderi were responsible for the security breach at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna, kidnapping of students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, and the Emir of Bungudu and several other citizens last year.
He explained that a painstaking check with credible human intelligence sources further confirmed that Boderi and his terror group had a bad day in the hands of the combat-ready troops.
According to the report, the troops engaged the bandits around the Tollgate General Area of Chikun local government, and while the bandits scrambled in retreat, they ran into another ambush laid by the troops in Sabon Gida General Area.
Aruwan said that corpses and weapons were recovered at the scene, while some of the terrorists eventually died from bullet wounds.
The Commissioner further disclosed that Boderi’s deadly second in command, one Musti, was among those identified to have been eliminated, alongside one Yellow Mai-Madrid and one Dan-Katsinawa, with others yet to be identified. While some of the terrorists are battling life-threatening wounds.
Meanwhile, Governor Nasir El-Rufai has praised the troops for the commendable feat under the leadership of the General Officer Commanding, One Division, Major General T.A. Lagbaja, being the latest notable breakthroughs recorded since he took command.