Troops of the Nigerian Army’s 167 Battalion, under Operation Fadan-Yamma, have reportedly neutralised two armed bandits and recovered 22 rustled cows during a night-time clash at Chigwalu village in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The confrontation occurred around 2:12am on Sunday, following a coordinated ambush by the troops in response to a bandit attack a day earlier on four Fulani settlements in Kagarko LGA. According to local resident Ibrahim Ahmed, the bandits, heavily armed with AK-47 rifles and in large numbers, had invaded the settlements of Rugan Wokili, Rugan Bawa, Rugan Yero and Rugan Kire near Janjala, making away with over 400 cows.
Ahmed recounted that as the bandits attempted to escape through Chigwalu Forest, they came under heavy gunfire from the deployed troops, resulting in the deaths of two attackers. Several others reportedly fled with gunshot wounds, and in the aftermath, 22 cows were recovered.
“During the exchange of fire between the troops and the bandits, most of the cows scattered into the forest while some even sustained bullet wounds. But 22 were recovered during the encounter,” Ahmed told our reporter.
The incident has sparked fresh waves of fear among residents. Communities in Anguwan Lalli, Gidan Kwano, Sabon Gari, Katambi, and Anguwa Toka have been deserted, with residents fleeing due to the ongoing threat of banditry. Ahmed also mentioned similar evacuations from Gidan Makeri, Kucumi, and Taka-Lafiya villages.
A military source involved in the operation, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the firefight and said that while some bandits were neutralised, others escaped with injuries. Security operations in the region remain ongoing.
The Nigerian Army is yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
