Troops gun down notorious bandit leader in Kogi

Troops of the 12 Brigade Nigerian Army, operating under Operation ACCORD III, have eliminated a notorious bandit leader, Babangida Kachala, during a joint operation in Kogi State.

The Acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations for the Brigade, Lieutenant Hassan Abdullahi, confirmed the development in a statement issued on Saturday.

According to him, the breakthrough followed credible intelligence reports about the movement of armed bandits within Ofere Forest and the Ayetoro Gbede general area. Acting swiftly, the combined forces of the Nigerian Army and Other Hybrid Forces (OHF) staged an ambush on September 11, 2025, at a suspected bandits’ crossing point.

Explaining further, Lieutenant Abdullahi said: “Although initial contact was not made, the troops, while withdrawing to base, ran into an ambush staged by the criminals along their route.

“In the ensuing firefight, the gallant troops engaged the bandits with superior firepower, neutralising one of the criminals. The troops thereafter exploited the area, during which they recovered 1 fully loaded magazine, 31 mobile phones, a blood pressure machine, packs of Tramadol tablets, fetish charms, and the sum of ₦16,000 cash.

“Bloodstains observed at the scene further suggested that several other bandits escaped with gunshot wounds. Subsequent intelligence confirmed that among those who fled with gunshot wounds was Babangida Kachala, a notorious bandit and second-in-command to Kachala Shuaibu, the leader of a bandit group operating within Masalaci Boka and Ofere Forest areas of Kogi State. He was later confirmed deadl”

He added that troops of 12 Brigade under Operation ACCORD III continued to dominate the area of responsibility with patrols and ambushes aimed at totally decimating bandits and other criminal elements within the boundaries of Kogi State.

According to him, the morale and fighting efficiency of the troops remained high as they sustained unrelenting pressure on the criminals.

The Nigerian Army reassured the good people of Kogi State of its determination to restore lasting peace and security, while encouraging citizens to provide timely and credible information to aid ongoing operations.