The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has successfully eliminated Yellow Jambros, a notorious terrorist and kidnap kingpin, in Niger state.
The NAF Spokesman, Edward Gabkwet, made this known in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja.
The air operation, part of Operation Whirl Punch, targeted Jambros and scores of terrorists in air strikes in the Shiroro Local Government Area.
The terrorists were intercepted while attempting to cross the Jikudna river in the Galadima Kogo district, en route to the Wurukuvhi area of Chikun LGA in Kaduna state.
Jambros and his associates were tracked from Zamfara into Niger state, riding on 13 motorcycles along the Kaduna-Niger state border. Five additional motorcycle-riding terrorists joined them at Kusasu, increasing the total to 18 motorcycles. The group then headed to the bank of River Jikudna, where they intended to cross.
The NAF received authorization to conduct a precision strike, effectively neutralizing Jambros and his colleagues, destroying their motorcycles, and sinking the boat.
The operation was deemed necessary as Jambros and his cohorts were responsible for numerous kidnappings and killings along the Abuja-Kaduna road and in several communities across Kaduna, Niger, Katsina, and Zamfara.
The Air Force spokesperson, Edward Gabkwet, noted that it was unusual for terrorists to travel in a convoy of motorcycles in broad daylight. This may have been an attempt to exploit a perceived window of opportunity following the accidental bombing of civilians in Tudun Biri in Kaduna state seven days prior.
NN News Media recall that Jambros had been linked to a previous kidnap kingpin, Mohammed Sani, who confessed that he worked for Jambros. Sani claimed that Jambros provided him with fake military and police uniforms, guns, and other weapons to carry out his operations, including the murder of over 50 people due to their inability to pay ransom.
The successful elimination of Yellow Jambros marks a significant achievement in the ongoing efforts to combat terrorism and insecurity in the region.
