NAF: Terrorists, Bandits Fleeing Niger State to Kaduna Forest

Linus Aleke in Abuja

Barely 36 hours after Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umar Bago, appealed to military authority to deploy troops to communities prone to terrorists and bandits’ attacks, the hierarchy of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), yesterday, said terrorists were already fleeing the state to another safe haven in Kaduna State.
The NAF also disclosed that recent intelligence revealed that most of the terrorists responsible for recent attacks on civilians, abductions, and cattle rustling within Shiroro Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger State were now domicile in Kaduna.

A statement by Director of Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Edward Gabkwet, said: “In response to the recent upsurge of terrorists’ activities targeting innocent civilians in Niger State, the Air Component of Operation Whirl Punch has continued in its efforts to track, locate and eliminate the terrorists responsible.

“Intelligence gathered had revealed that most of the terrorists responsible for recent attacks on civilians, abductions and cattle rustling within Shiroro Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger State were domicile in Kaduna State.”
Gabkwet said additional intelligence further revealed the sightings of these terrorists as they relocated from Alawa Forest in Niger State after their nefarious acts to their stronghold in Malum Forest in Igabi LGA of Kaduna State.

He said the Air component planned and executed an Air Interdiction mission on 21 Aug 24 on the terrorists’ stronghold at Malum Forest.
“Battle damage assessment and feedback from local sources revealed several of the terrorists were eliminated as a result of the strike. Similar strikes were also conducted on terrorists’ hideouts at Bayan Ruwa in Maradun LGA of Zamfara State.
“The terrorists were tracked to zincked-roofed structures in a vegetated area with few footpaths and a river line Northwest of the location. The targets were then acquired and engaged in successive passes,” he said.