A joint security operation led by the Nigeria Police Force successfully dismantled a network of bandits and kidnappers in the forests and remote communities of Kogi State following a fierce midnight clash. Several criminals were neutralized in the encounter.

The operation, conducted on Sunday, involved officers of the Force Intelligence Bureau–Intelligence Response Team (FIB/IRT), supported by other security agencies. According to sources, heavily armed bandits launched a coordinated night assault on the security operatives during a clearance patrol.

A video obtained by SaharaReporters captures the intense firefight, with bright flashes—possibly from explosions or fires—illuminating the darkness amid continuous gunfire.

The FIB/IRT team was led by Commissioner of Police Muhammad Sanusi Ahmed, an indigene of Lokoja LGA and Professor of Criminal Justice at the European-American University. The police source described the operation as “remarkable,” noting that CP Sanusi and his team successfully repelled the attackers, forcing them to retreat into the forest with multiple casualties.

The operation is part of ongoing efforts to reclaim Kogi forests from criminal gangs that have long terrorized travelers and rural communities. Coordinated air and ground offensives, including precision strikes by the Police Air Wing, targeted bandit hideouts, destroying camps and neutralizing fighters. Footage shows bandit enclaves engulfed in flames shortly after airstrikes, with helicopters providing aerial support to advancing ground troops.

Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, shared the video, stating, “An ongoing joint operation involving troops of the Nigeria Army and police has led to the neutralization of scores of bandits and the dismantling of their networks across forested areas of Kogi State.”

Confirming the operation, the Kogi State Police Command said the exercise was carried out with “vigour, commitment, and utmost professionalism,” signaling renewed momentum in the fight against criminal gangs in the region.