Two notorious bandit kingpins, Gero (Alhaji) and Alhaji Riga, along with 20 of their fighters, were killed in a series of precision airstrikes carried out by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) in Zamfara State.
The airstrikes, which targeted hideouts at Unguwar Goga hillforest in the Faskari Local Government Area, were executed in the early hours of March 13, following careful and actionable intelligence. The attack destroyed the fortified camps of the two bandits, eliminating over 20 criminals, with additional casualties reported in the surrounding rocky hills.
Group Captain Kabiru Ali, Deputy Director of Public Relations and Information for the Nigerian Air Force, confirmed the successful operation, emphasizing that the airstrike significantly disrupted the banditry operations in the region. He added that further assessment of the damage was ongoing.
Riga and Gero were notorious for harboring terrorist elements responsible for frequent ambushes along the Funtua-Gusau road, especially between Yankara and Sheme villages. Their elimination represents a significant step forward in the military's ongoing efforts to restore peace in the North-West of Nigeria.
