Nigerian Air Force has bombed an unspecified number of bandits attending a naming ceremony at the residence of bandit leader, Bello Turji in Fakai, Shinkafi Local Government Area pf Zamfara State.
According to Daily Trust, two sources from the area said many attendees were trapped in the attack, but the casualty figure was yet to be ascertained.
It was gathered that the aerial interdiction conducted by the NAF followed intelligence about the gathering of the bandits at the location.
A source who was at the ceremony told Daily Trust that the event was a naming ceremony for a baby born to Turji’s family.
Turji maintains a large gang of gunmen, who, for years have been terrorising residents in Shinkafi and Zurmi local governments of Zamfara and Isa and Sabon Birni local governments of Sokoto State.
Recall that late last year during an interview with Daily Trust, the bandit leader said that he was laying down his arms.
The ceasefire deal between him and the local communities led to renewed peace in the area, with many hitherto sacked farming communities returning to their farms this farming season.
But a security source said Turji’s repentance was doubted by security agencies as he allegedly continued acquiring more weapons.
A public relations platform with a link to the military, PRNigeria, reported that the bandits were killed during a ‘surprise raid’ by the air troops of Operation Forest Sanity.
PRNigeria reported that the attack was carried out by two NAF fighter jets upon receiving credible intelligence.
A defence intelligence source said that NAF jets rained missiles at Fakai area, believed to be the residence of the dreaded Turji as part of the military’s counter-offensive operation currently going on in the Shinkafi axis.
“At the moment, we can’t give the actual casualty figure,” the source told PRNigeria.
Discussion about this post