Over 60 suspected bandits, including a notorious kingpin identified as Idi Abasu Aiki, were killed during a synchronized security operation that thwarted a planned attack on communities in the Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina State.
The operation, as detailed by security analyst Zagazola Makama, was executed by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) in collaboration with Katsina State Community Vigilantes and a group of specially trained local hunters.
According to the report, the security agencies acted on credible intelligence suggesting that a group of over 200 heavily armed bandits, allegedly led by Idi Abasu Aiki, was mobilizing for a retaliatory attack against communities believed to be supporting local security outfits that safeguard the area.
Makama revealed that the armed group, which reportedly included fighters connected to the Ado Aleru bandit network operating in neighboring Zamfara State, advanced toward Guga village but unwittingly stepped into a meticulously orchestrated security ambush.
The bandits, accompanied by reinforcements from the Ado Aleru network, had intended to target villages accused of backing Community Watch Corps members who have been active in defending nearby settlements. This assault was allegedly a response to a prior confrontation in Dawan Laila village, where local hunters had inflicted significant casualties on their group.
Thanks to detailed intelligence gathered by the DSS before the attack, a strategic counter-operation was launched. The report confirmed that over 60 suspected bandits, including Idi Abasu Aiki and 14 senior commanders, were neutralized in the ambush. The operation delivered a major setback to the armed group, as those killed accounted for some of their top-ranking members.
The coordinated operation was not without sacrifice, as four members of the Katsina State Community Vigilantes and local hunters lost their lives while assisting security forces during the encounter.
Subsequent to the ambush, security personnel carried out clearance operations in the area, recovering firearms and belongings abandoned by fleeing attackers. The counter-effort is regarded as one of the most significant actions against bandit groups terrorizing Katsina and adjacent states.
While authorities are yet to issue an official statement confirming the number of casualties, the operation is widely seen as a major success in curbing armed banditry in the region.
