The Nigerian Army says, following the directives of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru to stabilise the North West, troops of 8 Division operating in Zamfara have launched Operation Tsare Mutane in order to fight banditry and other violent crimes in the North West and to facilitate the return of socio-economic activities.
Director Army Public Relations, Brig. General Mohammed Yerima made this known in a statement on Monday in Abuja.
According to Yerima, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) the Division, Maj Gen Usman Yusuf launched the first phase of Operation Tsare Mutane which lasted from 23 March to 2 April 2021 in Maradun LGA of Zamfara State, and troops rescued 18 kidnap victims from the bandits' enclave.
He added that, eight AK-47 rifles and one G3 rifle, as well as one PKT and a Machine Gun were recovered from the Bandits.
The Army Spokesman added that in continuation with the second phase of Operation Tsare Mutane, troops sacked several other bandits' camps around Gabiya, Bozaya and Mereri and the adjoining forests in Maru LGA of Zamfara State from 19 April to 3 May 2021.
"The areas which were heavily infested by bandits were successfully cleared by the highly spirited troops," he said.
"Bandits' leaders including Yellow Mai-Bille, Sani Meli, Dan-Katsina and Sama'ila Bakajin Bari were neutralised in the process while the main leader Nasanda narrowly escaped with fatal injuries.
Also neutralised in the operation was one Isan Heshi who is a close ally of a notorious bandit called Nagala.
Isan Heshi was the second in command to Heshi before he joined Nagala following Heshi's death in an earlier operation" he added.
Items recovered in the second phase of Operation Tsare Mutane include 4,600 rounds of ammunition, two AK-103 rifles, eight AK-47 magazines, 1,628 rounds of AK-47 ammunition, fifty-four rounds of PKM as well as one motorcycle and five Techno mobile phones.
The COAS congratulated the GOC and troops of the 8 Division and assured the GOC of his continuous support in achieving the overall objective of keeping the North West and the entire country free of terrorism, banditry, and other violent crimes.
