Security agencies, in collaboration with local vigilantes, have dismantled three major bandit hideouts during a coordinated operation carried out on Sunday in Kogi State.
The Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr Kingsley Fanwo, disclosed in a statement issued in Lokoja that the camps, located in Kogi West, were operated by a notorious bandit kingpin, Kachalla Babangida.
He explained that the operation, which combined aerial surveillance with ground offensives, led to the elimination of several bandits and the successful rescue of abducted victims.
“The hideouts linked to Kachalla Babangida were targeted with overwhelming firepower through coordinated air and ground assaults.
“The camps were completely destroyed, and victims held in captivity were safely rescued,” Fanwo said.
He added that the freed victims had been taken to medical centres for treatment before being moved to internally displaced persons (IDP) facilities, ahead of reunification with their families.
Fanwo noted that the State Security Adviser, Cdr Jerry Omodara (rtd), commended the gallantry of the operatives and reassured them of sustained government backing in the ongoing fight against banditry and terrorism.
According to him, the operation involved personnel drawn from the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Nigerian Army, Navy, Air Force, Police, Department of State Services, as well as local vigilante groups.
He stated that details regarding the precise locations of the camps, the number of bandits neutralised, and victims rescued were being withheld for security considerations.
The state government expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for his continued support in tackling insecurity and also praised the commitment of security agencies and community volunteers.
Fanwo further affirmed that Gov. Ahmed Ododo remains resolute in deploying every available resource to guarantee the safety and security of residents across the state.