Troops of the 12 Brigade Lokoja have killed notorious bandit commander Kachalla Bala and five of his men in a series of coordinated military operations across Kogi State.
In a statement on Monday, Brigade spokesman Lieutenant Hassan Abdullahi confirmed that the breakthrough came during Operation Egwua A Tite II, conducted between September 1 and 5, 2025.
He said the operations not only neutralised heavily armed bandits but also led to the rescue of kidnapped victims in multiple communities.
Recovered items from the raids included five Dane guns, an AK-47 magazine loaded with 20 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, a motorcycle, and mobile phones. The operations covered parts of Lokoja, Kabba-Bunu, and Yagba West Local Government Areas.
Abdullahi explained that troops of the 126 Battalion, supported by hybrid forces, clashed with bandits around Tunga, killing two in a firefight. On September 2, an air combat mission struck fleeing criminals in Ankomi, while a clearance raid on September 3 in Aleke, Ungwan Soni, and Ungwan Nyaba freed kidnapped victim Pabo Suleiman and his two children.
The decisive encounter came on September 5, when Bala and five of his top lieutenants were gunned down during an intense exchange at their hideout near Tunga.
Brigade Commander and Force Commander of Operation Accord III, Brigadier General Kasim Sidi, personally led several of the missions, boosting troop morale, destroying bandit camps, and tightening control with patrols and ambushes.
Abdullahi reaffirmed the military’s determination to wipe out banditry and restore peace in Kogi and its environs, stressing that operations are ongoing and continue to deliver positive results.
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