Two foreigners were arrested during a military operation against bandits in Niger State between Sunday, June 28, and Monday, June 29, 2020.⁣

Defence Headquarters spokesperson, Major-General John Enenche, announced in a statement on Tuesday, June 30 that the air component of Operation Gama Aiki hit the bandits with airstrikes at Kasuwan Ango, Mariga local government area of Niger.⁣

He said the military had received credible intelligence that some armed bandits were seen on the move with a large number of rustled cattle in the area.⁣
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“Accordingly, the Air Component dispatched a helicopter gunship to engage the bandits in multiple waves of attack leading to the neutralisation of some of the bandits, while a few escaped with gunshot wounds.⁣

“Two of the escaping bandits, who happened to be foreigners, were later apprehended,” he said.⁣

Cattle rustling is one of Nigeria’s major insecurity problem as bandits roam communities mostly in the northern region of the country and steal, kill, and destroy property.⁣

President Muhammadu Buhari recently fired a warning to service chiefs to get the situation under control after many fed-up citizens protested against such killings in his native Katsina.⁣

The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, encouraged members of the public to continue providing useful information that would facilitate the restoration of peace and security to all terrorised parts of the country, according to Enenche’s statement.⁣