Nigerian troops have killed two notorious bandit commanders during a coordinated security operation targeting criminal networks operating across Niger State and adjoining areas, security analyst Bakatsine revealed.
According to the analyst, one of those neutralised was Kachalla Dan Gudale Shangel, a feared bandit leader who had consistently rejected peace initiatives and was accused of coordinating violent raids across Birnin Gwari, parts of Niger North, and several border local government areas in Kebbi State.
The affected areas reportedly included Danko/Wasagu, Sakaba, Ngaski and Yauri.
Bakatsine disclosed that Shangel was widely linked to repeated attacks on rural communities, including mass killings, kidnappings, cattle rustling and the destruction of villages, making him a major target of ongoing military operations in the region.
Furthermore, the analyst said several other bandit commanders were eliminated during fierce clashes in the Lioji and Mailaka areas of Kotonkoro, as armed groups attempted to relocate abducted victims toward Zamfara State and the Birnin Gwari axis.
“Troops engaged the bandits as they tried to move hostages, leading to significant losses among the criminal elements,” Bakatsine said, adding that the encounters dealt a major blow to the groups’ operational leadership.
Meanwhile, local sources cited by the analyst reported that surviving bandits were seen fleeing through the Sangeko–Kabaro corridor, with many openly mourning their dead, an indication, he noted, of the scale of losses suffered during the military onslaught.
The development comes amid sustained efforts by Nigerian security forces to dismantle bandit networks and restore stability to communities affected by years of armed violence across the North-Central and North-West regions.