By Usman Walin Gungura, Bauchi
The Executive Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed, has informed that troops of the Nigerian Army have dismantled all bandits camps following an crackdown in the state.
The Governor revealed at a press briefing shortly after a closed door meeting with security agencies and traditional rulers of the affected communities at the Government House Bauchi, where he said that the decision followed a major security crackdown that exposed widespread banditry across forest corridors linking Bauchi with Plateau and Taraba States.
He explained that soldiers in the overrun of the bandits camps, destroyed their logistics in Dajin Madam Forest. He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), who listened to the complaints of the people of Bauchi by taking decisive action that neutralised more than 20,000 bandits hiding in Dajin Madam and Taraba State Forest.
He confirmed that the government sent about four war planes that bombed the bandits and successfully cleared several of their camps, disrupting their criminal activities within the forests, adding that several bandits were neutralised during the operation, while others fled under sustained military pressure.
”Several motorcycles used by the criminals were destroyed, limiting their mobility and operational capability, through the troops’ established firm hold within the forest to consolidate gains and prevent re-infiltration by fleeing bandits.
“The operation uncovered large settlements of armed groups, prompting a decisive response by security agencies through coordinated ground and aerial actions backed by intelligence.
“We have opened a surrender window for bandits operating within and around the state. We urge them to lay down their arms as part of efforts to consolidate recent security gains.
“We are calling on those still in hiding to surrender within this period. This is not amnesty, but a chance to return and reintegrate under government supervision,” Governor Mohammed advised.
While confirming that many of the bandit networks have been dismantled, the governor emphasised the need for a balanced approach that combines enforcement with an opportunity for rehabilitation.
He said that arrangements are being considered to relocate those who surrender, including their families, while noting that many of the suspects are not originally from Bauchi State.
“As part of broader security reforms, Governor Bala Mohammed announced more serious surveillance measures, including biometric data collection, intelligence-led monitoring, and verification of activities in markets, motor parks, and public spaces,” he added.
Governor Mohammed informed that his administration also plans to strengthen community-based security systems by recruiting and supporting local vigilante groups to complement formal security agencies, adding that the new measures are aimed at preventing the creation of ungoverned spaces that could serve as safe havens for criminal elements.
He therefore called on residents to cooperate with security agencies and remain vigilant, assuring that efforts are ongoing to ensure lasting peace and stability.
The Governor said that government will conduct a biometric profiling exercise of residents in vulnerable communities as part of renewed efforts to strengthen security and prevent the re-emergence of criminal hideouts across the state.
He explained that the exercise will be carried out in collaboration with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and other relevant federal agencies to ensure proper documentation and monitoring of population movements in high-risk areas, pointing out that the initiative is aimed at eliminating ungoverned spaces that have been exploited by criminal elements to establish camps and launch attacks on surrounding communities.
Governor Mohammed said the decision follows successful coordinated security operations that dismantled several bandits’ camps in forest areas within Bauchi and neighbouring states, leading to relative calm in affected locations.
He commended the efforts of security agencies, including the Nigerian Armed Forces and intelligence units, noting that sustained operations have significantly disrupted the logistics and mobility of criminal groups.
“We are taking these measures to ensure that no space is left ungoverned or unmonitored, so that criminal elements cannot regroup or threaten our communities again,” he assured.
He also reiterated his appeal to fleeing bandits to surrender during what he described as a temporary window for peace, stressing that it is not an amnesty but an opportunity to abandon violence and reintegrate peacefully.
Governor Mohammed assured that the state government is intensifying collaboration with traditional institutions, security agencies, and federal authorities to sustain ongoing operations and guarantee lasting peace and stability across Bauchi State, by the grace of God.
