Nigeria: Airstrike Hits Bandits Moving From Zamfara to Kebbi

What the report says

Security forces in northwestern Nigeria are engaged in an ongoing operation along the Zamfara-Kebbi border after armed bandits were reported moving from Zamfara State toward Kebbi State, according to Daily Trust, cited by AllAfrica. The forces involved include troops of the Nigerian Army’s COAS Intervention Battalion 3 under 8 Division, personnel of the Mobile Police Force, and the Air Component of Joint Task Force Operation FANSAN YAMMA.

The report said the group was estimated at about 240 people and was seen advancing from the Sangeko Gap area toward Makuku town. It also said the fighters were traveling on motorcycles and had split into three formations as they moved across the border axis. The operation was described as a combined ground and air effort aimed at stopping the group from reaching nearby communities.

Daily Trust reported that the movement of such a large armed group heightened tension in surrounding settlements, with some residents said to have left their homes for safer places. Security officials urged residents to stay alert and follow instructions from authorities while the operation continued.

The Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations for 8 Division and Sector 2 of Operation FANSAN YAMMA, Lt. Col. Olaniyi Osoba, confirmed the development and said the operation was still underway, with more details expected later. The incident fits into broader military efforts in Nigeria’s North-West to disrupt bandit groups, protect communities and respond to kidnapping and armed violence.