Troops Recover Cache of Arms, Rescue Kidnapped Victims as Operation Egwua A Tite II Intensifies
By Demola Salami
Lokoja, Nigeria – In what military authorities have described as a major breakthrough in the war against banditry, troops of the 12 Brigade, Lokoja, have neutralised one of the most feared bandit commanders, Kachalla Bala, along with five of his lieutenants, during a fierce gun duel in Kogi State.
The operation, which falls under the ongoing Operation Egwua A Tite II, ran from September 1 to 5, 2025, covering volatile flashpoints across Lokoja, Kabba-Bunu, and Yagba West Local Government Areas.
Confirming the development in Lokoja on Monday, Brigade spokesman Lieutenant Hassan Abdullahi said Bala’s reign of terror came to a bloody end on September 5, when troops stormed his hideout near Tunga. The encounter, he noted, was “fierce but decisive,” leaving the notorious warlord and five of his men lifeless.
Items recovered from the battlefield included:
Five Dane guns
One AK-47 magazine loaded with 20 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition
A motorcycle used for reconnaissance
Two mobile phones believed to contain critical intelligence
Abdullahi said the arms haul underscores the scale of Bala’s operations across the region.
In a rare move highlighting the gravity of the offensive, Brigadier General Kasim Sidi, Brigade Commander and Force Commander of Operation Accord III, personally led multiple clearance operations. His presence, military insiders said, “significantly boosted troop morale and sent a clear message of dominance” to bandits still hiding in the forests.
Troops of the 126 Battalion, reinforced by Hybrid Forces, clashed with bandits around Tunga earlier in the week, neutralising two fighters. On September 2, an air combat mission in Ankomi cut down more insurgents attempting to flee aerial surveillance.
On September 3, coordinated clearance operations in Aleke, Ungwan Soni, and Ungwan Nyaba led to the rescue of Mr. Pabo Suleiman and his two children, who had been held hostage. The rescued family has since been reunited with their community.
Lieutenant Abdullahi reiterated that Operation Egwua A Tite II is far from over:
> “The neutralisation of Kachalla Bala is a significant victory, but our troops remain resolute and committed to eradicating banditry and criminality from Kogi and its environs. We will not relent until peace and stability are fully restored.”
Security experts believe Bala’s death marks a turning point in the fight against rural bandit networks in the North-Central region, though they caution that surviving cells may attempt reprisal attacks.
With the offensive intensifying, residents across Kogi are cautiously hopeful that the long night of fear is drawing to a close.
PIONEER NEWS 