The Nigerian Army announced Sunday the killing of notorious bandit leader Kachalla Balla and five members of his gang in Kogi State. The operation, a key part of the ongoing anti-banditry campaign, marks a significant success for security forces in the region.
The killing was confirmed in a statement by Lieutenant Hassan Abdullahi, Acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations for the 12 Brigade. The breakthrough occurred during Operation Egwua, a specialized campaign launched on September 1 to combat banditry and other criminal activities in Kogi and surrounding areas.
According to the statement, troops engaged the bandits on September 5 in a fierce gun battle near their hideout ahead of the town of Tunga. The fighting resulted in the deaths of Balla and five of his associates.
In a separate but related incident on the same day, soldiers working with other forces ambushed a logistics courier at the Agbede-Adankoo Bridge, seizing a motorcycle, mobile phones, and a loaded AK-47 magazine.
The 12 Brigade also conducted successful clearance operations between September 2 and 3 in the communities of Ankomi, Aleke, Ungwan Soni, and Ungwan Nyaba. During these operations, they rescued a man, Pabo Suleiman, and his two children and recovered five locally made dane guns.
The Commander of the 12 Brigade, Brigadier General Kasim Sidi, reportedly led the troops personally into the bandit enclaves, where they destroyed several settlements. The Nigerian Army has reiterated its commitment to maintaining pressure on these criminal groups to restore peace in the state.
