Troops kill seven suspected kidnappers in Bauchi

Troops of the Nigerian Army have killed seven suspected kidnappers in Bauchi State.

The acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, in a statement on Saturday, said the suspected kidnappers were killed by a fighting patrol team of the 33 Brigade at Lame Burra Forest near Dursen Ganye, Gunduru and Kati Layin villages.

According to Usman, the troops destroyed the camp of the insurgents and recovered two AK-47 rifles and three dane guns from the hoodlums.

The acting Army spokesman said the troops were still combing the area of operation to track down fleeing members of the criminal gang.

He added that the Army had established two forward operation bases at Lame and Jimi to cover the Lame Burra axis of the forest.

Usman stated that the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, had directed the men of the 33 Brigade to maintain a presence in the area to prevent the hoodlums from returning to the area after they were cleared in an initial operation codenamed ‘Operation Forest Kunama,’ which was reportedly designed to clear cattle rustlers and camps of armed bandits from Bauchi and Gombe states.

He explained that the troops often embarked on “periodic fighting patrols into the forest from the Forward Operating Bases.”

According to Usman, the troops of Operation Lafiya Dole deployed in Bauchi and members of the local vigilante, arrested a suspected Boko Haram insurgent identified as Adamu Damuna.

The Army spokesman said the suspect was being interrogated by the troops.