Over 100 bandits dead: The secret operation they never saw coming

Makakkari Forest in Zamfara’s Bukuyum LGA turned into a death trap on Sunday as Nigerian Air Force jets and ground troops unleashed a coordinated assault that left more than 100 bandits dead, their motorcycles destroyed, and their stronghold in ruins.

The killing blow came after weeks of surveillance by Operation FANSAN YANMA intelligence units, which had been tracking unusual movements across the Sunke–Kirsa–Barukushe axis, a corridor long feared for its bandit activity.

The trail led to Makakkari, where over 400 armed fighters, including some of the region’s most notorious kingpins, had gathered to launch a revenge attack on Nasarawan Burkullu, a farming community.

“They thought they could regroup, rearm, and strike again,” a military source told Zagazola Makama. “Instead, they walked straight into a trap.”

The strike began with reconnaissance drones marking enemy positions. Then came the roar of NAF fighter jets, releasing precision bombs on bandit clusters. Explosions ripped through the forest, sending thick smoke into the air as scores of terrorists were cut down before firing a shot.

Those who tried to flee were met by ground forces waiting in intercept positions. Several kingpins were neutralised in the mop-up.

Military sources say the flawless air–land coordination was key to the operation’s success, a template they plan to replicate to dismantle both the fighters and the networks sustaining them.

“Banditry thrives on fear and impunity,” the source said. “We are dismantling both, one strike at a time.”