Troops of the 12 Brigade Nigerian Army under Operation ACCORD III, in collaboration with Other Hybrid Forces (OHF), have eliminated a notorious bandit leader, Babangida Kachala, during an operation in Kogi State.
The Acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations, 12 Brigade, Lieutenant Hassan Abdullahi, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday.
He explained that on 11 September 2025, following credible intelligence on the movement of bandits around Ofere Forest and Ayetoro Gbede, troops laid an ambush at a suspected crossing point. Although initial contact was not established, the soldiers later ran into an ambush staged by the bandits while returning to base.
In the ensuing firefight, the troops overpowered the criminals, killing one, and recovering a fully loaded magazine, 31 mobile phones, a blood pressure machine, packs of Tramadol, fetish charms, and ₦16,000 in cash. Bloodstains at the scene suggested that several bandits escaped with gunshot wounds.
Subsequent intelligence confirmed that among the injured was Babangida Kachala, the deputy to bandit kingpin Kachala Shuaibu, who later died of his wounds.
Lieutenant Abdullahi added that troops under Operation ACCORD III remain on high alert, conducting aggressive patrols and ambushes to flush out criminals across Kogi State. He assured residents that the Nigerian Army is committed to restoring lasting peace and urged citizens to continue providing credible information to aid operations.
