TROOPS of the Nigerian Army’s 12 Brigade have neutralised a notorious bandit leader, Kachalla Balla, along with five of his gang members, during ongoing clearance operations in Kogi State.
The Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 12 Brigade, Lieutenant Hassan Abdullahi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday in Lokoja made available to News Point Nigeria.
Kogi State, which shares boundaries with nine other states and the Federal Capital Territory, has in recent years become a hotspot for banditry, kidnapping, and other violent crimes due to its strategic location as a transit route for criminals fleeing security operations in neighbouring states.
Criminal gangs often exploit the state’s difficult terrain, including its forests and riverine areas, to establish camps and launch attacks on communities, travellers, and security personnel.
Abdullahi said the operation was part of Operation EGWUA A TITE II, launched on September 1, 2025, to rid Kogi of banditry and other security challenges.
“On September 5, during a fierce gun battle at a bandits’ hideout ahead of Tunga, intelligence confirmed that Kachalla Balla, a notorious bandit commander, and five others were neutralised,” the statement partly read.
He further revealed that troops, working with Other Hybrid Forces (OHF), carried out a successful ambush along a suspected bandits’ main supply route at Agbede–Adankoo Bridge (Mosalanci Boka), where a bandit logistics courier was killed. Items recovered included a motorcycle, two mobile phones, and an AK-47 magazine loaded with 20 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition.
Abdullahi added that troops of 126 Battalion, under the Commanding Officer, also engaged bandits during an advance on the Tunga general area, neutralising two more insurgents.
“In an effort to boost troops’ morale, the Commander, 12 Brigade Nigerian Army and Force Commander Operation Accord III, Brigadier General Kasim Umar Sidi, led the follow-up operation, destroying several bandits’ settlements while dominating the area with patrols and ambushes,” he added.
Earlier, on September 2, acting on credible intelligence, troops with close air support from the 405 Helicopter Combat Training Group launched an air mission to Ankomi, engaging fleeing bandits and neutralising several fighters.
Abdullahi also confirmed that clearance operations conducted between September 3–4 in Aleke, Ungwan Soni, and Ungwan Nyaba communities led to the rescue of Mr. Pabo Suleiman and his two children, who were reunited with their family. Troops recovered five locally made dane guns during the operation.
The army spokesman reiterated that the troops remain committed to eliminating banditry and other security threats in Kogi State and its surrounding areas.
In response, the Nigerian Army has intensified counter-banditry campaigns under various operations, including Operation EGWUA A TITE II, which was launched on September 1, 2025, to flush out armed groups from their hideouts across the state.
The operation integrates ground troops, hybrid forces, and air support from the Nigerian Air Force to improve response time and ensure comprehensive area domination.
Before this latest offensive, residents in areas such as Tunga, Agbede, and Adankoo had reported a surge in kidnappings and armed robberies, with victims often held for ransom in remote forest camps.
The killing of Kachalla Balla, described by security sources as one of the most dreaded bandit leaders operating in the state, is seen as a breakthrough in the ongoing efforts to restore peace and security to Kogi and its surrounding communities.