The troops during the operation, also killed over one hundred bandits, destroyed their camps and recovered assorted dangerous weapons and rescued ten kidnapped victims.

A statement by the acting Force information officer of Operation Hadarin Daji, Captain Ayobami Oni-Orisan, says the kinetic operation was carried out in Anka, Maru, and Bukkuyum in Zamfara while another operation was executed in Jubia in Katsina state following the recent upsurge in activities of unrepentant bandits in both states who have refused to key into the ongoing Peace Initiatives of the Zamfara state government.

According to the statement, between December the 16th 2019 to 9 January 2020, the troops of Operation Haradin Daji, comprising personnel of the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Airforce, Nigeria Police, Department of State Services and other security agencies, conducted several clearance operations to smoke out and neutralize the recalcitrant bandits from their enclaves.

The statement further says that during the clearance operations, the troops in collaboration with the Defence Forces of Niger Republic apprehended a high-profile gunrunner named “Kunene”, who is responsible for the inflow of arms, ammunition and other dangerous weapons to the region. In addition, troops also apprehended 3 suspected bandits; Abubakar Kiri Koloma, Abubakar Ibrahim and Haruna Alhaji Yaro, and 2 notorious drug dealers; Kabiru Abubakar Isah and Hamisu Dan-kwanba at various locations in Zamfara state during the period

The statement also adds that
troops during the operation, successfully neutralized about 100 bandits, including 6 key commanders, and rescued no less than 10 kidnapped persons.

It also discloses that the troops recovered assorted dangerous weapons including
500 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, 15 AK 47 rifles, 4 General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMG), one PKM Machine Gun, one Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) bomb, a Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) tube, eleven fully loaded magazines, 600 rustled cows and 23 Motorbikes.

While stating that troops of Operation Haradin Daji have succeeded in ensuring that Gusau-Sokoto, Katsina-Jibia-Zamfara, Gusau-Shinkafi-Sokoto, Kajiji-Gummi-Anka-Gusau roads are safe for travellers, the acting force information officer, notes that the onslaught against unrepentant and recalcitrant bandits will continue until banditry is completely crushed and peace is restored in Zamfara, Katsina, Kebbi and Sokoto states.