Troops of the 12 Brigade, Nigerian Army, under Operation ACCORD III, in collaboration with Hybrid Forces, have eliminated another notorious bandit commander, Babangida Kachala, the second-in-command to gang leader Kachala Shuaibu, who operated within the Masalaci Boka and Ofere Forest areas of Kogi State.
This success comes barely a week after the Army neutralised another commander, Kachalla Balla, along with five of his gang members, in a major breakthrough against banditry in the state.
On September 5, troops had carried out an operation under Operation EGWUA A TITE II at a hideout near Tunga, killing Balla and his men. In a related ambush at Agbede–Adankoo Bridge, a bandit courier was intercepted, and weapons and supplies were recovered. Several kidnapped victims were rescued during follow-up clearance operations with air support.
Confirming the latest development in a statement issued in Lokoja on Saturday, Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 12 Brigade, Lieutenant Hassan Abdullahi, said the operation followed credible intelligence.
According to him, on September 11, 2025, troops laid an ambush at a suspected bandit crossing point in the Ofere Forest and Ayetoro Gbede general area. While withdrawing after an initial failed contact, the soldiers ran into an ambush staged by the criminals.
“In the ensuing firefight, the gallant troops engaged the bandits with superior firepower, neutralising one of the criminals,” Abdullahi stated.
He added that troops recovered a fully loaded magazine, 31 mobile phones, a blood pressure machine, packs of Tramadol, fetish charms, and ₦16,000 cash. Bloodstains at the scene confirmed that several bandits escaped with gunshot wounds. Subsequent intelligence later revealed that Babangida Kachala was among those injured and was later confirmed dead.
Abdullahi stressed that 12 Brigade troops under Operation ACCORD III will continue patrols and ambushes to decimate criminal elements in Kogi. He assured that the Nigerian Army remains resolute in restoring peace and urged citizens to provide credible information to support ongoing operations.
