By Israel Bulus, Kaduna
Residents of Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State have commended the Nigerian military and the Kaduna State Government following a sustained security offensive that reportedly led to the neutralisation of over 70 bandits and the destruction of several criminal hideouts across the area.
Community leaders said the military operation, carried out in recent days, targeted long-established bandit enclaves located within forested areas around Kauru, which had served as launch pads for attacks, kidnappings and killings across the local government.
Among the notorious camps dislodged during the operation were Rafin Gora Camp, Agwala Camp, Ruwan Sanyi and Randa, locations residents described as major strongholds used by armed groups to terrorise surrounding communities for years.
The operation was led by the Commandant of the 2 National Mission Force Brigade, Samaru Kataf, Navy Captain I.T. Akaazua, under whose leadership troops carried out coordinated ground assaults on the identified bandit enclaves.
During the offensive, several abducted victims were rescued alive by the troops. The rescued persons were identified as Mr Barnabas Zakaria and Mr Hosea Barnabas, both from Doka in Kajuru Local Government Area; as well as Haruna Ummar, Timothy Musa, Hasat Ummar and Balkisu Ummar, all from Kauru Local Government Area.
In a press statement obtained by the PUNCH Online on Monday, signed by the community leaders, Alhaji Tukur Kadage, Chairman of the Joint Security Committee of Dokan Karji and Kwassam communities; Mr Barnabas Musa of Chawai Chiefdom; and Hon. Aminu Khalid, Youth Leader of Dokan Karji community, praised the military for what they described as a decisive intervention that has significantly weakened bandit networks in the area.
Musa particularly commended the ongoing military onslaught against bandits operating in Kauru and Kumana Chiefdoms, while appealing for the sustenance of the operation and its extension to parts of Chawai Chiefdom, especially the Rahman Chawai and Badurum axis, where communities, he said, continue to face serious security challenges.
The community leaders recalled that Kauru Local Government Area, located in Southern Kaduna, has suffered persistent insecurity since 2010, beginning with an attack on Kizachi community in Chawai Chiefdom, where eight persons were killed.
They said the attacks initially remained concentrated in Chawai Chiefdom but later escalated and spread to Kumana Chiefdom and parts of the Kauru Emirate by late 2015, resulting in widespread killings, kidnappings and the displacement of residents.
According to them, armed groups over the years established camps within dense forests surrounding Kauru, using the difficult terrain to launch repeated raids on villages, abduct residents for ransom and rustle livestock, forcing many families to abandon their homes and farmlands.
They added that the prolonged violence left thousands displaced and in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, including food, shelter and medical care.
The leaders also linked the recent security gains to the peace and security strategy of Governor Uba Sani, which they said combines sustained military operations with intelligence-driven policing, community engagement and reconciliation initiatives.
According to them, the governor’s peace model, which emphasises collaboration among security agencies, traditional institutions and local communities, has improved intelligence gathering and reduced the operational space available to criminal elements across the state.
They further noted that residents of Kauru have begun to feel the positive impact of the permanent military barracks established in the area by a former Chief of Defence Staff, saying the presence of the brigade has enhanced rapid response, strengthened intelligence sharing and sustained pressure on criminal groups operating within the forests.
“The coordination we are seeing now is encouraging. The government’s approach has made communities more willing to share intelligence with security agencies,” one of the leaders said.
The community leaders appealed to the Federal and Kaduna State governments to sustain the current military pressure while scaling up humanitarian assistance to enable displaced residents to return home and resume farming and other economic activities.
” We have pledged as communities to continued cooperating with the security agencies by exposing criminal hideouts and providing timely intelligence to ensure lasting peace and stability in the area.
End.
