NAF Destroys IED Factory, Eliminates Bandits in Zamfara, CSOs Fault US Strikes

Linus Aleke in Abuja and Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has destroyed an improvised explosive device (IED) factory and eliminated several bandits during a precision air operation in Zamfara State, dealing a significant blow to criminal networks operating in the region.

The operation, which was conducted based on credible intelligence, was aimed at disrupting the activities of armed bandits responsible for repeated attacks on local communities and security personnel.

In a statement, the Director of Public Relations and Information of the Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said the NAF, operating under the Air Component of Operation Fansan Yamma, Sector 2, recorded a major operational success in its sustained offensive against armed banditry.

According to him, the success followed the execution of two high-impact precision air interdiction missions on 28 December 2025 at Turba Hill and Kachalla Dogo Sule’s Camp, both located in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

Ejodame explained that, acting on credible multi-source intelligence, NAF air assets were deployed against identified bandit enclaves at the two locations.

The first strike targeted Turba Hill, a confirmed bandit hideout. Persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions had revealed significant human activity at the site, as well as an operational zinc-roofed structure assessed to be central to the enclave’s activities.

“Following positive identification, the target was precisely engaged, resulting in a direct hit. A post-strike battle damage assessment confirmed the complete destruction of the structure and the neutralisation of several bandits.

“The second air interdiction mission was carried out at Kachalla Dogo Sule’s Camp, a notorious bandit stronghold identified as a key hub for IED production and operations.

“Intelligence reports had linked the camp to the planning and execution of recent IED attacks along the Dan Sadau–Magami axis. The precision strike successfully engaged multiple active structures within the enclave, triggering intense fires that destroyed the facilities and neutralised several bandits.

“This effectively crippled the group’s capacity to manufacture and deploy improvised explosive devices. These decisive air strikes represent a significant degradation of bandit networks operating in Zamfara State, particularly their ability to manufacture and employ IEDs,” Ejodame said.

He added that the operations reaffirmed the Nigerian Air Force’s unwavering commitment, in close coordination with other components of Operation Fansan Yamma, to deny criminal elements havens, degrade their combat effectiveness, and support ongoing joint efforts to restore lasting peace and security across the North-West and the country at large.

Meanwhile, a coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs),has criticised the United States’ reported military operation in Nigeria, alleging that President Bola Tinubu ceded Nigeria’s sovereign authority to a foreign power.

They described as unacceptable the authorisation of foreign military strikes on Nigerian soil without a clear public explanation of their necessity or legal basis, coupled with continued silence from key national institutions.

“If the President and his security leadership have concluded that they lack the capacity or will to manage Nigeria’s internal security challenges within the bounds of the Constitution and instead choose to cede such authority to a foreign power, then constitutional responsibility and democratic integrity demand that they resign.”

In a joint statement signed by Global Rights, Amnesty International Nigeria, the Kukah Centre, the CLEEN Foundation and over 90 other organisations, the CSOs expressed “grave concern and deep alarm” over a reported U.S. air strike carried out on Christmas Day on Nigerian territory, as well as what they described as the silence and inaction of Nigeria’s political and military leadership in its aftermath.

According to the group, the incident raised serious questions about national sovereignty, constitutional governance, civilian protection and the integrity of Nigeria’s social contract.

They argued that the country was facing a dual crisis of leadership and security, rooted in what they termed an apparent abdication of constitutional responsibility by the President in his role as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

“By inviting a foreign government to manage what is fundamentally an internal security challenge, the President ceded sovereign authority in a manner that undermines Nigeria’s constitutional order,” the CSOs said.