In a decisive security operation, Nigerian military forces and operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have eliminated at least 45 armed bandits near Kuchi town in Munya Local Government Area of Niger State.
The operation, which took place in the early hours of Monday, was confirmed by Zagazola Makama, a renowned counter-insurgency expert and security analyst in the Lake Chad region, via a post on his official X account on Wednesday.
According to Makama, the joint mission was executed by DSS tactical units in collaboration with military forces. The armed bandits, believed to be loyalists of the notorious terrorist leader Dogo Gide, were reportedly preparing to launch coordinated attacks on local communities around Kuchi.
Quoting an anonymous source, Makama revealed that over 100 insurgents had mobilised from the Bilbis Forest in Maru LGA of Zamfara State, as well as from other hideouts in Kaduna State, before being intercepted.
“The security forces engaged the terrorists in a fierce gun battle on the outskirts of Kuchi town, successfully neutralising no fewer than 45 of them,” he stated. “Several others managed to flee with gunshot wounds.”
In the aftermath of the operation, multiple motorcycles, arms, and ammunition were recovered from the scene.
However, the report noted that five DSS operatives sustained injuries during the encounter. They are currently receiving treatment at an undisclosed medical facility.
This operation marks a significant victory in the ongoing fight against insurgency and rural banditry in Nigeria’s North-Central region.