Troops of the 1 Brigade in Sector 2 Joint Task Force, North-West, Operation Fansan Yamma, have killed a “notorious” terrorist kingpin in Zamfara State.
Alhaji Ma’oli was killed alongside other suspected terrorists on Thursday.
The Coordinator Joint Media Coordination Centre, Operation Fansan Yamma, Lieutenant Colonel Abubakar Abdullahi, said the operation leading to Alhaji Ma’oli’s death and that of others took place in Mai Sheka village close to Kunchin Kalgo town “which is one of the local communities that had suffered under Ma’oli’s reign of terror”.
“Ma’oli is renowned for always imposing illegal levies on residents of Unguwan Rogo, Mai Sheka, Magazawa, and other surrounding areas of Bilbis in Tsafe LGA of Zamfara State,” Abdullahi said in a statement on Friday.
According to him, Ma’ Oli’s death has “brought relief and excitement to locals in Bilbis general area”.
He said the operation followed an intelligence report about the activities of terrorists on motorcycles operating in the Bilbis axis of Bilbis District, Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
“Swift response by troops of Operation Fansan Yamma not only thwarted the terrorists’ plan to attack the locals but also reinforced the commitment to securing the area from further acts of violence,” he said.
In the wake of the development, Abdullahi said Operation Fansan Yamma “remains resolute in its mandate to pursue and neutralise all remaining terrorists and their collaborators across the Joint Task Force Theatre of Operation”.
“The Joint Task Force will also continue to work diligently alongside local communities towards achieving lasting peace and security in Zamfara State and beyond,” he added.
Zamfara is one of the states in the country battling terrorism and banditry, leading to scores of deaths and the abduction of several others.
Security agencies have in the past years battled to contain the criminals. The federal and state governments have also repeatedly vowed to flush out the criminals whose activities have increased over the years.