Bauchi State Tightens Grip as Bandits Lose Ground
By Aliyu Zakari
A major breakthrough has been recorded in Bauchi’s fight against banditry, as Governor Bala Mohammed confirms the destruction of bandits camps and disruption of their operations across key hotspots.
Governor Bala Mohammed, stated this shortly after s closed-door security meeting with top security chiefs, traditional rulers, and local government chairmen over recent security developments in parts of the state.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, Governor Bala Mohammed expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the National Security Adviser, and heads of security agencies for what he described as a “monumental intervention” in addressing the security challenges.
The meeting, which focused on volatile areas including Alkaleri and its surrounding borders with Plateau, Taraba, and Gombe States, reviewed ongoing military operations and strategies to sustain peace.
He disclosed that coordinated operations involving the Nigerian Armed Forces, Air Force, DSS, Police, and local vigilante groups have significantly degraded bandit activities in the affected areas.
According to the Governor, intelligence reports revealed the presence of between 10,000 to 20,000 bandits occupying forest zones around Bauchi and neighboring states before the intervention.
He said the joint operations, backed by intensive intelligence gathering, aerial reconnaissance, and precision strikes, have successfully disrupted bandit camps, destroyed logistics networks, and cut off supply routes.
Governor Bala Mohammed further revealed that thousands of bandits have been neutralized, while hundreds of motorcycles and multiple camps were destroyed, forcing surviving elements to flee.
He added that security agencies have now established strategic control measures, including continuous aerial surveillance and rapid response mechanisms to prevent regrouping.
The Governor, however, stressed the need for sustained vigilance, calling on communities to provide intelligence and report suspicious movements, warning that anyone found aiding bandits would face strict consequences.
He also announced plans for community profiling and biometric registration of residents in high-risk areas, aimed at eliminating ungoverned spaces and tightening security monitoring.
Traditional rulers and local government chairmen from Bauchi, Alkaleri, Kirfi, and Tafawa Balewa were directed to strengthen local surveillance systems, particularly in motor parks, cattle markets, and other critical points.
While noting that there have been casualties, the Governor disclosed that a temporary window has been created for bandits willing to surrender, assuring that those who lay down their arms would be handled with a measure of empathy and reintegrated where possible.
He emphasized that the state government, in collaboration with security agencies, will continue to monitor, regulate, and secure all supply chains and vulnerable locations to prevent a resurgence of criminal activities.
Governor Bala Mohammed reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening local security structures, including vigilante groups, to consolidate the gains recorded so far.
