Three bandits have been neutralised by soldiers of 1 Division Nigerian Army and Operation Whirl Punch in Kaduna.
Nigeriacrime.com learned that the troops also recovered weapons in Kaduna state, while operatives of the State Police Command rescued 2 Clerics.
Speaking on the development, the Acting Deputy Director Army Public Relations 1 Division Nigerian Army, Musa Yahaya explained that” on 5 November 2023, while on clearance operation in the general area of Maidaro, Ngade, Ahla and Rikau Villages in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area, troops made contact with terrorist and criminal elements. On sighting the troops, the terrorist took to their heels as troops pursued and neutralized two while others escaped with gunshot wounds and abandoned one motorcycle”
“Similarly, on 5 November 2023, troops carried out a discreet operation around Tantatu and Antena general area in Chikun Local Government. During the operation, troops neutralized one terrorist, captured one AK 47 rifle, one AK 47 magazine, quantity seven of 7.62mm (Special) ammunition and two techno phones”
“The General Officer Commanding 1 Division Nigerian Army and Force Commander Operation Whirl Punch Maj Gen VU Okoro has applauded the troops for their remarkable resilience and charged them to sustain the tempo until all terrorists and criminals in the Division’s Area of Responsibility are annihilated. He also appealed to the good people of Kaduna State to continue to avail the Nigerian Army and other security agencies with credible and actionable intelligence,” Yahyah stated.
Meanwhile, operatives of Kaduna Police Command attached to Kafanchan Divisional Headquarters have on 04/11/2023 at about 1000 hours acted on a reported distress situation from Godo-godo Police Outstation that a certain Reverend Father Andrew Amana of St. Francis Catholic Church Godo-godo in Jema’a local government area, has earlier on the 03/11/2023 at about 2230 hours, been abducted by unidentified gunmen and whisked to an unknown place.
ASP Mansir Hassan, the PPRO of Kaduna Police Command, said the operatives in conjunction with local vigilantes trailed the gunmen to their hideout in the vast Dogon Kurmi forest where a gun duel ensued. The Operatives tactically cum successfully dislodged the hoodlums and rescued the clergyman unhurt.
” Two suspects, namely; Lawal Muhammad 27 years and Ya’u Hussain 30 years both males of Datti and Dogon Kurmi villages respectively were arrested. Equally, an AK-47 rifle loaded with two rounds of live 7.62 X 39mm ammunition was recovered from the said suspects.”
“Preliminary investigation reveals that the motive of the armed hoodlums who abducted the reverend father was financial since a four million naira ransom had already been agreed with the family of the victim before the Police Operatives struck. The gunmen were four in number thus, two are still at large, though strongly suspected to be nursing gunshot wounds from the violent combat. Hence, the Police Command is calling on the public around that axis to be on the watch for any person or persons nursing suspected bullet injuries and report same to the closest Police station or any security outfit.”
“The Commissioner of Police Kaduna State Command, CP Musa Yusuf Garba while commending the Operatives for the recorded success, charged them not to relent in denying criminal elements in the State of any operating space. He again called on the members of the public to always be on the lookout for suspicious characters in their area and report them to any nearest security agency,” he said.