Troops of the Nigerian Army’s 12 Brigade have killed a notorious bandit leader, Kachalla Balla, and five of his fighters during ongoing clearance operations in Kogi State.
The Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 12 Brigade, Lieutenant Hassan Abdullahi, confirmed the development in a statement on Sunday in Lokoja.
He said the operation was part of Operation EGWUA A TITE II, launched on September 1, 2025, to flush out armed groups and tackle rising insecurity in the state.
“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,” Abdullahi said.
He added that troops, working with Other Hybrid Forces (OHF), mounted an ambush along a suspected bandits’ supply route at the Agbede–Adankoo Bridge (Mosalanci Boka). A logistics courier was killed in the encounter, and troops recovered a motorcycle, two mobile phones, and an AK-47 magazine loaded with 20 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition.
In a related operation, soldiers of 126 Battalion engaged bandits during an advance on the Tunga general area, killing two insurgents.
To boost morale, the Commander, 12 Brigade Nigerian Army and Force Commander Operation Accord III, Brigadier General Kasim Umar Sidi, personally led a follow-up offensive, destroying several bandits’ settlements while maintaining patrols and ambushes across the axis.
Earlier on September 2, troops acting on intelligence, with close air support from the 405 Helicopter Combat Training Group, launched an air mission in Ankomi, engaging fleeing bandits and “neutralising several fighters.”
Abdullahi further disclosed that clearance operations conducted between September 3 and 4 in Aleke, Ungwan Soni, and Ungwan Nyaba communities led to the rescue of Mr. Pabo Suleiman and his two children. The rescued family has since been reunited, while five locally made dane guns were recovered.
The army spokesman reiterated the troops’ commitment to restoring peace in the state.
“The Nigerian Army remains committed to eliminating banditry and other security threats in Kogi State and its surrounding areas,” Abdullahi said.
Kogi, which borders nine states and the Federal Capital Territory, has in recent years become a hotspot for banditry, kidnapping, and violent crimes, largely due to its forests and riverine terrain, which armed groups exploit as hideouts.
Before the 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 camps.
Security sources described Balla as “one of the most dreaded bandit leaders operating in Kogi,” noting that his death marks a breakthrough in efforts to restore peace and stability to the state.