Troops of the 12 Brigade of the Nigerian Army have dismantled a bandits’ camp in Kogi State and rescued two kidnap victims during a coordinated security operation.
The operation was launched following intelligence on the movement of injured bandits linked to notorious criminal leaders operating along the Niger-Kwara-Kogi axis.
According to a military operational report obtained on Saturday, troops, supported by a police helicopter, intercepted fleeing bandits attempting to escape toward the borders of Niger and Kwara states.
During the operation, soldiers overran a camp belonging to a suspected bandit leader identified as Kachallah Babangida. They also cleared an illegal mining site believed to have been used to finance criminal activities.
The report stated that troops engaged fleeing bandits who were moving with more than 30 rustled cattle.
The military also conducted cordon-and-search operations in Owara community before advancing to Aleke village, suspected to be a hideout for fleeing bandits.
During the search, troops recovered four abandoned motorcycles and arrested a suspected bandit identified as Ado Ibrahim.
Military authorities said abandoned farm settlements used by the criminals around Aleke were destroyed to prevent the area from being used as a base for future attacks.
The report added that two kidnap victims, identified as Yahuza Sani and Tanimola Temidayo, escaped during an air interdiction targeting the bandits' camp. They later reached a military patrol base in Obajana, where they were received by troops and evacuated for medical treatment.
The military said operations would continue across the affected areas to sustain pressure on criminal groups and improve security for residents.
