Olu Samuel

Troops of 12 Brigade, Nigerian Army under Operation ACCORD III, in conjunction with Other Hybrid Forces (OHF), have killed another notorious bandits commander, Babangida Kachala, a second-in-command to Kachala Shuaibu, the leader of a bandit group operating within Masalaci Boka and Ofere Forest areas of Kogi State.

This was coming on the heels of similar feat achieved last Saturday when the commander of a group of bandits, Kachalla Balla and five of his gang members were killed in a major breakthrough in the ongoing operations to rid Kogi State of banditry and other criminal activities.

A statement issued on Saturday and made available to newsmen in Lokoja by Lieutenant Hassan Abdullahi, Acting Assistant Director Army Public Relations,
12 Brigade Nigerian Army stated that the feat was achieved by the troops under operation Accord lll.

The statement reads ;
“On 11 September 2025, following credible intelligence on the movement of bandits within Ofere Forest and Ayetoro Gbede general area, the combined troops laid an ambush at a suspected bandit crossing point. Although initial contact was not made, the troops, while withdrawing to base, ran into an ambush staged by the criminals along their route.

In the ensuing firefight, the gallant troops engaged the bandits with superior firepower, neutralizing one of the criminals.

The troops thereafter exploited the area, during which they recovered 1 fully loaded magazine, 31 mobile phones, a blood pressure machine, packs of Tramadol tablets, fetish charms, and the sum of ₦16,000 cash. Bloodstains observed at the scene further suggested that several other bandits escaped with gunshot wounds.

Subsequent intelligence confirmed that among those who fled with gunshot wounds was Babangida Kachala, a notorious bandit and second-in-command to Kachala Shuaibu, the leader of a bandit group operating within Masalaci Boka and Ofere Forest areas of Kogi State. He was later confirmed dead”.

According to him,”Troops of 12 Brigade under Operation ACCORD III continue to dominate the area of responsibility with patrols and ambushes aimed at totally decimating bandits and other criminal elements within the boundaries of Kogi State adding that the morale and fighting efficiency of the troops remain high as they sustain unrelenting pressure on the criminals”.

He said that Nigerian Army reassures the good people of Kogi State of its determination to restore lasting peace and security, while encouraging citizens to provide timely and credible information to aid ongoing operations.