Troops Clash With 240 Bandits Along Zamfara-Kebbi Border

Troops of the Nigerian Army, operatives of the Mobile Police Force and the Air Component of Joint Task Force Operation FANSAN YAMMA have engaged a large group of suspected bandits in a fierce confrontation along the Zamfara-Kebbi border.

According to Ireporter Online, security sources disclosed that the armed group, estimated to comprise about 240 fighters, reportedly emerged from the Sangeko Gap in Zamfara State before advancing towards Makuku in Kebbi State.

The suspected bandits were said to be moving on motorcycles and reportedly split into three formations as they made their way through communities around the border corridor.

The development has heightened tension in the affected areas, with some residents reportedly leaving their homes and relocating to safer locations as security forces intensified efforts to contain the threat.

The operation involves troops from the Nigerian Army’s COAS Intervention Battalion 3 under 8 Division, personnel of the Mobile Police Force and aerial support from the Air Component of Operation FANSAN YAMMA.

Security personnel are working to prevent the suspected bandits from gaining access to surrounding communities while also restricting their movement through the border corridor.

The reported presence of such a large armed group has raised fresh security concerns among residents across the affected axis, particularly as security agencies continue efforts to disrupt the activities of bandit networks operating across the North-West.

Residents in vulnerable communities have been urged to remain vigilant and follow directives issued by security authorities as the operation continues.

The Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 8 Division Nigerian Army/Sector 2, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, Lieutenant Colonel Olaniyi Osoba, confirmed that security personnel were engaged in an ongoing operation in the area.

Osoba explained that further information would be made available after the operation is concluded.

He did not immediately disclose details regarding casualties, arrests or losses recorded by either the security forces or the suspected bandits.

The latest confrontation comes amid sustained military operations across the North-West aimed at dismantling criminal networks, preventing attacks on communities and disrupting the movement of armed groups between states.

Security agencies have also intensified efforts to rescue abducted residents and prevent bandits from exploiting border routes to move between different locations.

As of the time of filing this report, the operation along the Zamfara-Kebbi border remained ongoing, while security authorities had yet to issue a comprehensive account of the encounter.