Troops of the 12 Brigade Nigerian Army, operating under Operation ACCORD III, in collaboration with Other Hybrid Forces (OHF), have achieved a significant success in their ongoing mission to eradicate banditry and criminal activities in Kogi State with the elimination of a notorious bandit kingpin, Babangida Kachalla.
According to a statement issued by Lieutenant Hassan Abdullahi, Spokesman of 12 Brigade, the breakthrough followed an intelligence-led operation. On 11 September 2025, troops received credible information on the movement of armed bandits within the Ofere Forest and Ayetoro Gbede axis. Acting swiftly, they staged an ambush at a suspected bandit crossing point.
Although the initial attempt did not yield immediate results, the troops encountered an ambush set up by the criminals on their withdrawal route. In the ensuing firefight, the soldiers overpowered the attackers with superior firepower, killing one of the bandits on the spot.
A subsequent search of the area led to the recovery of a fully loaded magazine, 31 mobile phones, a blood pressure monitoring device, packs of Tramadol tablets, fetish charms, and ₦16,000 in cash. The presence of heavy bloodstains suggested that several other bandits escaped with serious gunshot wounds.
Follow-up intelligence later confirmed that one of those injured was Babangida Kachalla, the second-in-command to the notorious bandit leader Kachala Shuaibu, who operates within the Masalaci Boka and Ofere Forest enclaves of Kogi State. He was later confirmed dead from his injuries.
Lieutenant Abdullahi noted that troops of 12 Brigade remain resolute in their operations, sustaining aggressive patrols and ambushes designed to completely dismantle bandit networks and restore peace across Kogi State.
He further emphasized that the morale and combat readiness of the soldiers remain very high, with unrelenting pressure being maintained on criminal groups operating in the area.
