Troops of the 33 Brigade of the Nigerian Army have reportedly eliminated the leader of a notorious bandit gang that has been terrorizing residents of Ningi Local Government Area of Bauchi State.

The influential bandit, known as Ya’u, met his end in an ambush by the troops at a strategic crossing point in Burra, Ningi, on Friday, 20th October 2023.

Reports indicate that Ya’u was the leader of the gang which is notorious for using heavy weaponry to instill terror among the residents of Burra and neighboring communities.

The gang was involved in kidnapping for ransom and, in extreme cases, resorted to violence if ransom demands were not met.

Sources in Burra disclosed that the soldiers were able to neutralize Ya’u as he and his gang were returning to their hideout after an operation.

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On the same day, the bandits had also kidnapped the traditional ruler of Kwajale village in Sumaila LGA, Kano State.

The Nigerian Army confirmed Ya’u’s death in a statement released on Saturday, 21st October 2023, by Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, Director of Army Public Relations.

The statement detailed that the troops, acting on actionable intelligence, patiently waited for the bandits and then opened fire on them.

It added that one bandit was killed, and the others fled with gunshot wounds, leaving behind evidence in the form of blood traces.

The troops also recovered an AK-47 rifle, 14 live rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition, a mobile phone, and a fetish amulet from the bandit.