El-Rufai urges military to bring banditry to an end

— as ground, air assaults neutralise 50 bandits

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state has congratulated the ground troops and gunship crews for neutralising over 50 bandits during a combined ground and air assault in the Saulawa-Farin Ruwa axis of Birnin Gwari LGA of the state.

El-Rufai urged them to sustain the momentum and bring banditry to an end.

A statement signed by the state’s commissioner of internal security and home affairs, Samuel Aruwan, said following extensive scans, bandits were spotted on five motorcycles, about 4km east of Saulawa, waiting to ambush the ground forces. They were engaged by the helicopter gunship and wiped out.

“After this, armed bandits on about 50 motorcycles were sighted fleeing towards Farin Ruwa and were struck effectively by the gunship. Fleeing remnants were mopped up by ground forces.

“A second helicopter gunship joined the operations, and many more fleeing bandits were neutralized by precise strikes. The assessment revealed that more than 50 bandits were neutralized during the joint operation,” Aruwan added.