The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has delivered a decisive blow to banditry in Niger State, neutralizing scores of terrorists and dismantling their logistics hub in Alawa Forest, Shiroro Local Government Area.
The operation, executed on January 21, 2025, represents a major victory in the military’s ongoing efforts to eradicate terrorism under Operation FANSAN YAMMA.
Acting on credible intelligence and confirmatory aerial surveillance, the Air Component of Operation FANSAN YAMMA launched a sustained three-day offensive, code-named KONAN DAJI.
The intelligence revealed an influx of heavily armed terrorists into the Alawa Forest, linked to the deadly Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attacks on December 19, 2024, in Bassa, Shiroro LGA, which claimed several lives and caused widespread panic.
To neutralize the threat, NAF fighter jets conducted precision airstrikes on the identified hideouts, targeting bandits and their logistics facilities. The strikes resulted in multiple secondary explosions, confirming the destruction of weapons and supplies. Scores of armed terrorists were neutralized in the operation, significantly degrading their operational capacity and rendering the forest uninhabitable for criminal activities.
The Nigerian Air Force, in close collaboration with ground forces, is intensifying efforts to clear Alawa Forest and its surroundings of criminal elements. These operations aim to restore lasting peace and stability to communities in Niger State and beyond.
Air Vice Marshal Olusola Akinboyewa, the Director of Public Relations and Information at the NAF Headquarters, reaffirmed the military’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding lives and maintaining national security.
He noted that sustained operations like KONAN DAJI demonstrate the resolve of the NAF to protect Nigerians from terrorism and other forms of insecurity.