Troops of the Nigerian Army’s 12 Brigade have killed at least two suspected bandits and arrested a man described as a logistics supplier in Kabba Bunu and Yagba West local government areas of Kogi State.
Hassan Abdullahi, the acting assistant director of Army Public Relations for the brigade, said the operations followed credible intelligence on bandits’ movements in the areas.
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He said troops laid ambushes and conducted fighting patrols on 3 January, leading to the encounters with the suspects.
According to Mr Abdullahi, troops intercepted bandits moving from the Adankolo area towards Agbadu Bunu in Kabba Bunu Local Government Area and engaged them at an identified crossing point.
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He said two bandits were killed during the encounter, while others fled with suspected casualties.
Troops, he added, recovered one AK-47 rifle, a magazine, 99 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, a locally fabricated gun and 11 cartridges.
He said the army carried out a separate operation in Saminaka village, Yagba West Local Government Area, after intelligence reports indicated bandit activity in the area.
Troops, working with local vigilantes, found the village deserted and extended their patrol to nearby forests and access routes, where they engaged the bandits.
“During exploitation of the withdrawal route, troops discovered one neutralised bandit, one AK-47 rifle and 17 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition,” Mr Abdullahi said.
He also said troops arrested a suspected logistics supplier, identified as Sunday Adedotun, from Odo Eri village in Yagba West.
The suspect was apprehended on a farm in Saminaka village, where items, including cartons of energy drinks, soft drinks, bottled water, and harvested farm produce, were found at the location.
He said the suspect was in custody and under investigation.
The army said the operations were part of ongoing efforts to disrupt criminal networks and restrict their movement in the area.
The latest development comes amid growing security concerns in Kogi State, particularly in the Yagba axis. On 31 December 2025, suspected bandits reportedly abducted an unspecified number of residents during an attack on the Omi-Ara community in Yagba West Local Government Area.
Residents said the attack occurred in the early hours of the day, with gunshots ringing through the community.
As of the time of reporting, the exact number of those abducted and their identities had not been confirmed.
Security agencies were reportedly alerted, but the Kogi State Police Command did not issue an official statement.
Repeated calls and text messages to the police public relations officer, William Aya, were unanswered at the time.
The Yagba axis has recorded a series of abductions in recent months. Between August and November, gunmen attacked two churches, a Cherubim and Seraphim church and an ECWA church, abducting a pastor and his wife.
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In another incident, at least four residents were abducted during an attack on the Odo-Ere community. Residents identified those taken as Shina Ajere, Kehinde Afolabi, Damilola Ogun and a woman known as Iya Lara.
Community members have continued to call on security agencies and the Kogi State Government to deploy additional personnel and intensify efforts to curb the attacks and secure the release of abducted residents.
Photo: Arrested an alleged logistics supplier and recovered an AK-47 rifle, a magazine, 99 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, a locally fabricated gun and 11 cartridges.
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