Operatives of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), working in concert with the Department of State Services (DSS) and the 2 Division of the Nigerian Army, have reportedly neutralised notorious bandit leader Kachalla Kabiru and several of his lieutenants during a coordinated military operation in Kogi State.
SaharaReporters gathered that the operation, which included precision airstrikes by the Nigerian Air Force, was carried out after weeks of sustained intelligence gathering and surveillance that confirmed Kabiru’s presence at a designated hideout. Intelligence sources told SaharaReporters the decisive strike was conducted on February 13, 2026.
“Kachalla Kabiru and some of his top lieutenants were neutralised in a coordinated operation involving air and ground assets,” an intelligence source said. The source described the mission as a joint effort coordinated by ONSA and executed with support from DSS, the Army’s 2 Division and the Air Force.
Security agencies have long identified Kabiru as one of the earliest and most influential bandit leaders to establish a strong operational foothold in Kogi State. An intelligence report obtained by SaharaReporters on Monday says Kabiru was centrally involved in the recruitment, coordination and movement of bandits across several states in the North Central and adjoining zones.
“Kabiru moved from the North West into Kogi over 10 years ago and entrenched himself in the forests and border communities,” a senior security official told SaharaReporters. “From there, he coordinated kidnapping and banditry operations across Kogi, Kwara, Benue, Enugu, Edo, Ekiti and Ondo states. He was a key node linking criminal groups across state lines.”
According to the intelligence sources, Kabiru played a major role in logistics and manpower mobilisation for bandit groups, facilitating the movement of fighters, weapons and kidnapped victims between forest corridors extending from the North West into the North Central and South West zones.
“The strike followed credible intelligence confirming the kingpin’s presence at a designated target location,” an intelligence source said, adding that the neutralisation of Kabiru represents a significant blow to organised banditry in the North Central zone and is expected to disrupt operational coordination among criminal elements.
Government security agencies have not yet issued an official joint statement. Requests for immediate comment to the ONSA, DSS, the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Air Force were not immediately returned. Further details are expected as security authorities conclude post-operation assessments.
