By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo
Residents of Kauru Local Government Area in Kaduna State have praised the Nigerian military and the Kaduna State Government for a sustained security operation that reportedly neutralised over 70 bandits and destroyed several criminal hideouts across the area.
Community leaders said the offensive targeted entrenched bandit camps hidden in the forests of Kauru, long used as bases for attacks, kidnappings, and killings in the local government and neighbouring communities. Among the camps dismantled were Rafin Gora, Agwala, Ruwan Sanyi, and Randa, described by residents as notorious strongholds of armed groups.
The operation was led by the Commandant of the 2nd National Mission Force Brigade, Navy Captain I. T. Akaazua, under whose command troops carried out coordinated assaults on the identified enclaves.
Several abducted persons were reportedly rescued during the operation, including Mr. Barnabas Zakaria and Mr. Hosea Barnabas from Doka in Kajuru LGA, as well as Haruna Ummar, Timothy Musa, Hasat Ummar, and Balkisu Ummar from Kauru LGA.
Speaking on the operation, community leaders—including Alhaji Tukur Kadage, Chairman of the Joint Security Committee of Dokan Karji and Kwassam communities; Mr. Barnabas Musa of Chawai Chiefdom; and Hon. Aminu Khalid, Youth Leader of Dokan Karji—described the offensive as a decisive blow against banditry in the area.
Musa called for the continuation and expansion of the military offensive to parts of Chawai Chiefdom, particularly the Rahman Chawai and Badurum axis, where security challenges persist.
The leaders recalled that Kauru LGA has faced persistent insecurity since 2010, starting with an attack on Kizachi community in Chawai Chiefdom that killed eight people. The violence later spread to Kumana Chiefdom and parts of the Kauru Emirate, resulting in killings, kidnappings, and the displacement of thousands of residents.
They said bandits established camps within dense forests, using the terrain to carry out repeated raids, abduct residents for ransom, and rustle livestock, forcing many families to flee their homes and farmlands. The prolonged violence has left many displaced residents in urgent need of food, shelter, and medical care.
The community leaders attributed the recent security gains to the strategy of Governor Uba Sani, which combines sustained military operations with intelligence-driven policing, community engagement, and reconciliation efforts. They said the approach has improved intelligence gathering through collaboration among security agencies, traditional institutions, and local communities, shrinking the operational space available to criminals.
They also noted that the presence of permanent military barracks, established by a former Chief of Defence Staff, has enhanced rapid response, strengthened intelligence sharing, and maintained pressure on bandits.
“The coordination we are seeing now is encouraging. Communities are more willing to share intelligence with security agencies,” one of the leaders said.
The leaders appealed to federal and state authorities to sustain military pressure while scaling up humanitarian support to enable displaced residents to return home and resume farming and other economic activities. They pledged continued cooperation with security agencies, promising to expose criminal hideouts and provide timely intelligence to ensure lasting peace and stability in the area.
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