The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) on Thursday announced that its aircraft under the Air Component of Operation FANSAN YAMMA (AC OPFY) successfully neutralising scores of bandits and dismantling their logistics base at Alawa Forest in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.
NAF Spokesperson, Air Vice Marshal Olusola F. Akinboyewa, said in a statement that the airstrikes were conducted on Jnauary 21, 2025 based on “credible intelligence and follow-up confirmatory aerial surveillance efforts which indicated an influx of armed terrorists into the forest.”
These criminals, AVM Akinboyewa said “were linked to widespread violence, including two Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attacks on 19 December 2024 in Bassa, Shiroro LGA, which claimed several innocent lives.”
The full statement reads: “The Air Component of Operation FANSAN YAMMA (AC OPFY) has recorded another significant achievement in its counter-terrorism campaign, neutralising scores of bandits and dismantling their logistics base at Alawa Forest in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State. This operation, conducted on 21 January 2025, was based on credible intelligence and follow-up confirmatory aerial surveillance efforts which indicated an influx of armed terrorists into the forest. These criminals were linked to widespread violence, including two Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attacks on 19 December 2024 in Bassa, Shiroro LGA, which claimed several innocent lives.
“In response, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) launched a three-day sustained air operation, code-named KONAN DAJI, to degrade the terrorists’ capabilities and render the forest unhabitable for them. To this end, AC OPFY dispatched a formation of fighter aircraft to execute air interdiction missions in the area. Upon arrival, the jets swiftly engaged the identified targets with precision strikes, neutralising numerous armed fighters and destroying their logistics base, as confirmed by multiple secondary explosions.
“The NAF, in close coordination with ground forces, remains resolute in its commitment to maintaining operational dominance across the region. Sustained efforts are underway to eliminate all criminal elements from Alawa Forest and surrounding areas, ensuring lasting peace and security for communities in Niger State and beyond.”
