BY OUR CORRESPONDENT – Ten terrorists were eliminated within one week as the ongoing clearance operations by troops of 1 (One) Division Nigerian Army and “Operation Whirl Punch” continued to yield positive results in the North West region of the country.
This is as the troops also recovered weapons and means of their conveyance from the terrorists’ camp, according to a statement by the acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, 1 (One) Division Nigerian Army, Lt-Col Musa Yahaya.
The Army Spokesman said following a clearance operation conducted by troops of 1 (One) Division Nigerian Army and Operation Whirl Punch in the general area of Kampanin Doka village at Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State, four bandits who have been terrorising the locals met their waterloo on November 1, 2023.
He disclosed that during the operation, troops recovered one AK 47 rifle, one AK 47 magazine, one machete, one mobile phone, and 14 motorcycles from the criminals.
Meanwhile, on 2nd November 2023, some farmers, who were harvesting their crops in the western part of Sabon Sara village, fled their farms and alerted troops of the bandits’ attack.
Col Yahaya said the troops on receipt of the information quickly mobilised to the area and upon arrival, four of the farmers courageously joined the troops and neutralized one bandit while others withdrew in disarray with gunshot wounds.
The troops recovered two AK 47 rifles while one of the farmers, Mallam Abdulrahman Aliyu, who sustained minor injuries during the encounter was immediately evacuated to a nearby military hospital for treatment.
Similarly, on November 3, 2023, acting on credible intelligence, troops carried out clearance operations around the general areas of Kankomi, Juji, Gwantu, Kujeni, Kikwari, and Kaso all in Chikun local government area of Kaduna State. He said the troops made contact with bandits and successfully neutralized two of the criminals and recovered one AK 47 rifle, one AK 47 magazine, four 7.62mm Special ammunition, one Honda motorcycle, and one techno phone.
Also, on November 5, 2023, while on yet another clearance operation in the general area of Maidaro, Ngade, Ahla, and Rikau Villages in Birnin Gwari local government area, troops made contact with terrorists and criminal elements and on sighting the troops, the terrorists took to their heels as troops pursued and neutralised two of them while others escaped with gunshot wounds and abandoned one motorcycle.
In a related development, the troops carried out a discreet operation around Tantatu and Antenna general area in Chikun local government, and during the operation, troops neutralised one terrorist, captured one AK 47 rifle, one AK 47 magazine, quantity seven of 7.62mm (Special) ammunition and two Tecno phones.
The General Officer Commanding (GOC)1 Division Nigerian Army and Force Commander “Operation Whirl Punch”, Maj Gen VU Okoro has applauded the troops for their remarkable resilience and charged them to sustain the tempo until all terrorists and criminals in the division’s area of responsibility are completely annihilated.
He also appealed to the good people of Kaduna State to continue to avail the Nigerian Army and other security agencies with credible and actionable intelligence that will help in checking the activities of terrorists and other criminal elements.
