Acting on credible intelligence, on November 12, 2023, troops from 1 Division of the Nigerian Army, in collaboration with Operation Whirl Punch, successfully conducted a clearance operation in the Maro-Chibiya forest general area of Kajuru Local Government Area, Kaduna State.
According to an official statement by Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations for 1 Division, Lieutenant Colonel Musa Yahaya, the operation involved a decisive engagement with bandits. Troops, employing a heavy volume of fire, neutralized one bandit, compelling the others to flee with gunshot wounds into the surrounding forest. The seized items included one AK-47 rifle, one locally fabricated AK-47 rifle, four rounds of 7.62mm (Special) ammunition, and a mobile phone.
Likewise, on November 10, 2023, troops from 1 Division and Operation Whirl Punch, engaged bandits during a clearance operation in Kawara and Filin Jalo villages within the Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State. In the ensuing firefight, one bandit was neutralized, and the troops recovered an AK-47 rifle loaded with 30 rounds of 7.62mm (Special) ammunition, a motorcycle, and a Techno phone. Other assailants managed to escape with gunshot wounds.
Additionally, troops from 1 Division conducted clearance operations in Mai-Kulu-Gwanda, Rafin Gora, Funtua Badadi, and Kabawa villages, all situated in the Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State. During this operation, one bandit was neutralized, and a Boafeng radio and a motorcycle were captured.
Major General Valentine Okoro, the General Officer Commanding 1 Division Nigerian Army and Force Commander of Operation Whirl Punch, commended the troops for their gallantry. He urged them to sustain the momentum until all bandits, terrorists, and criminal elements within the Division’s Area of Responsibility are completely eradicated.
