The Nigerian Air Force has announced that a series of targeted airstrikes in Katsina State have successfully obliterated notorious criminal hideouts in the Unguwar Goga Hillforest, Ruwan Godiya Ward, within the Faskari Local Government Area.
Carried out in the early hours of Thursday, the operation was executed by the Air Component of Operation Fansan Yamma and focused on the heavily fortified camps of two infamous bandit leaders: Gero (also known as Alhaji) and Alhaji Riga.
In a statement issued on Friday night, the Deputy Director of Public Relations and Information for the Nigerian Air Force, Group Captain Kabiru Ali, confirmed that the airstrikes neutralized over 20 bandits, with additional casualties reported in the rugged, surrounding hills.
The statement read, “In a decisive blow against banditry in Katsina State, the Air Component of Operation Fansan Yamma carried out a precision airstrike in the early hours of 13 March 2025, striking at the heart of notorious bandit hideouts in Unguwar Goga Hillforest, Ruwan Godiya Ward, Faskari Local Government Area.”
The airstrikes followed actionable intelligence and were aimed at the fortified camps of key bandit leaders Gero (Alhaji) and Alhaji Riga. As a result, more than 20 criminals were neutralized, with additional casualties confirmed in the rocky hills nearby.
“The strike has had a substantial impact on the criminal network,” the statement continued. “A full assessment of the extent of the damage is currently ongoing.”
Ali highlighted that Gero and Riga were instrumental figures in the region’s banditry, providing shelter for terrorist factions responsible for violent ambushes along the Funtua-Gusau Road, particularly between Yankara and Sheme villages.
The elimination of these key figures marks a significant milestone in the ongoing military efforts to restore peace to the North-Western region.
