Kachallah Buzu, a notorious bandit and alleged leader of Bello Turji, has been killed in a significant military operation in Zamfara State.
Buzu’s death occurred during a large-scale raid by the military, which aimed to curb the banditry plaguing the region.
Before his demise, Buzu had issued a video calling for a halt to violence against civilians and urging his associates, including Turji and others, to focus their efforts on attacking the military instead. His call to action came just hours before he was eliminated by the same forces he sought to challenge. ZagaZola Makama, a counter-insurgency expert, reported on X that Buzu was swiftly “suyanised” (neutralized) by the military.
The military operation on Thursday also resulted in the deaths of several other bandits, the seizure of motorcycles, and the confiscation of a significant cache of weapons. Bandit hideouts were also destroyed during the operation.
In a related development, security forces in Niger State, including operatives from the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), successfully neutralized a group of bandits who had attacked Bassa-Kukoki village in the Allawa district of Shiroro Local Government Area. This operation followed an airstrike by Super Tucano jets, guided by DSS intelligence on the planned ambush.
A senior security official confirmed that three villagers were killed by the fleeing bandits during the confrontation, but no security personnel were harmed. Group Captain Kabiru Ali, Deputy Director of Public Relations and Information at NAF, reported that at least 28 bandits were eliminated during the operations. He noted that air support was requested to target criminal elements threatening the local communities, and over 100 terrorists were observed engaging in fierce firefights with friendly forces before the intervention of Operation Whirl Punch.
