NAF Kills Scores of Bandits in Zamfara

NAF Kills Scores of Bandits in Zamfara
  • Nigerian Army denies killing of 25 soldiers in Borno

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja 

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) yesterday said scores of bandits terrorising villagers around Doumbourou forest in Zamfara State were killed through air strikes.

This is coming as the Nigerian Army has denied reports that  25 soldiers were killed in an attack coordinated by Boko Haram insurgents in Borno State.

According to the spokesman of NAF, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, the air component of operation ‘Hadarin Daji’ launched the strikes following intelligence reports of the presence of the bandits in the forest.

He said in a statement that structures belonging to the bandits were also destroyed during the bombardment.

Daramola said: “The Air Component of Operation Hadarin Daji has destroyed an armed bandits’ camp and neutralized dozens of bandits in air strikes conducted at Doumbourou Forest in Zamfara State.

“The operation was executed yesterday, May 25, 2019, pursuant to human intelligence (HUMINT) reports indicating that some locations within the forest were being used by the armed bandits as hideouts, including a group of huts belonging to a notorious kingpin named “Dangote”.

“Accordingly, following confirmatory Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), an Alpha Jet aircraft was detailed to attack the armed bandits’ camp leading to the destruction of their structures and neutralisation of close to two dozen bandits.

“The NAF, working in consonance with other security agencies, will sustain its operations to flush the bandits out of the North-west of the country.”

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army has denied reports that  25 soldiers were killed in an attack coordinated by Boko Haram insurgents in Borno State.

The Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sagir Musa, made the denial in a short message (SMS) sent to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri, Borno State capital, yesterday.

Some reports had claimed that 25 soldiers were killed on Saturday when the insurgents attacked a military convoy evacuating civilians on Damboa-Biu Road.

But Musa dismissed the report as “rumour and fake”.

“Contrary to rumour and fake news circulating, there was no attack on any of our troops’ locations at Sabon Gari or any other locations in Borno

State.

“I have spoken with the Special Force Commander in Damboa and he confirmed to me that there was nothing of such in Damboa or any of his locations as at Friday) and Saturday,” he said.

Related Articles