Troops wipe out bandit enclaves in Bauchi forest operation

By Chuks Oyema-Aziken

Nigerian Army troops have intensified offensive operations in Bauchi State, overrunning multiple bandit camps and dismantling key logistics networks in a sustained campaign aimed at dislodging criminal elements from their forest strongholds.

The operation, carried out by troops of the 33 Artillery Brigade in collaboration with a team from the Office of the National Security Adviser, targeted entrenched positions within the Dajin Madam Forest, including the Azuge and Hari camps, both identified as long-standing bandit bases.

Military sources confirmed that several bandits were neutralised during the clearance operations, while others fled under heavy pressure, abandoning weapons, supplies, and makeshift infrastructure within the forest.

Troops also took custody of family members of fleeing bandits, including six women and 13 children, while motorcycles used for mobility were destroyed to further degrade the group’s operational capability.

A search of the camps led to the recovery of items including an AK-47 magazine, packs of tramadol, police and military uniforms, and horses—pointing to the group’s reliance on mobility, drug use, and impersonation tactics to sustain their activities.

Following the operation, troops established a firm hold within the forest to consolidate gains and prevent fleeing elements from regrouping or re-entering the area.

In a follow-up clearance mission in Mainamaji, conducted after recent air strikes, troops reportedly made no contact, suggesting that sustained pressure has significantly disrupted bandit presence and movement along the axis.

Security assessments indicate that the combined effect of ground assaults and aerial strikes is steadily breaking up bandit formations, forcing withdrawal and reducing their ability to maintain fixed camps.

Authorities say the ongoing targeting of logistics routes, mobility assets, and support structures is part of a wider strategy to dismantle the criminal ecosystem and prevent regrouping or renewed attacks.

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