Nigeria TV Info – Troops of the 12 Brigade Nigerian Army, under Operation ACCORD III and in collaboration with Other Hybrid Forces (OHF), have neutralized a notorious bandit leader in Kogi State, identified as Babangida Kachala.

The Acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations, 12 Brigade Nigerian Army, Lieutenant Hassan Abdullahi, disclosed this in a statement made available to Nigeria TV Info on Saturday.

According to Lieutenant Abdullahi, on 11 September 2025, following credible intelligence on the movement of bandits within Ofere Forest and the Ayetoro Gbede general area, troops laid an ambush at a suspected bandit crossing point.

Although initial contact was not made, the troops—while withdrawing—ran into an ambush staged by the criminals. In the ensuing firefight, the gallant soldiers overpowered the bandits with superior firepower, neutralizing one of them.

During the operation, troops recovered one fully loaded magazine, 31 mobile phones, a blood pressure machine, packs of Tramadol tablets, fetish charms, and ₦16,000 cash. Bloodstains found at the scene indicated that several other bandits escaped with gunshot wounds.

Further intelligence later confirmed that among those injured was Babangida Kachala, the notorious second-in-command to Kachala Shuaibu, leader of a bandit group terrorizing the Masalaci Boka and Ofere Forest axis of Kogi State. He was subsequently confirmed dead.