Troops of the 22 Armoured Brigade of the Nigerian Army, with robust support from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), have sustained coordinated offensive operations against terrorist elements within the Joint Operations Area, recording significant successes between January 23 and 29, 2026.
A press statement issued to journalists in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, over the weekend by the Acting Deputy Director, 2 Division Army Public Relations/Sector 3, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, Captain Maureen Ogbuka, states that the operations were conducted under the leadership of the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 2 Division Nigerian Army and Commander Sector 3, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, Major General Chinedu Nnebife, alongside the Commander, 22 Armoured Brigade, Brigadier General Nicholas Rume.
According to the statement, troops, in collaboration with ONSA, carried out aggressive fighting patrols across several bandit enclaves, leading to the neutralization of one terrorist, while others fled into surrounding forests with suspected gunshot wounds. Their camps and hideouts were destroyed, effectively dislodging the criminal elements.
The troops also cleared Garin Dandi, a notorious bandit enclave in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, dismantling logistics bases and disrupting the bandits’ supply chains.
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Additionally, previously inaccessible remote camps were overrun, with abandoned structures and logistics enablers destroyed, significantly degrading the terrorists’ operational capacity.
Maintaining sustained pressure, the troops restricted the bandits’ freedom of movement, intercepted fleeing suspects at blocking positions, and arrested several of them. Many kidnapped victims were also rescued from different camps across the state.
The Army noted indications of collaboration between bandits and some community members who allegedly provide intelligence on troop movements, enabling early withdrawals by the criminals.
Nevertheless, the successes recorded underscore the resolve and operational effectiveness of 2 Division Nigerian Army in degrading terrorist networks and restoring security in Kwara State.
The GOC, 2 Division Nigerian Army, has urged members of the public to continue providing credible and timely information on bandits and their collaborators, assuring that ongoing operations will decisively dismantle all terrorist networks operating within the state.
