By Elizabeth Godwin
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) says it has killed several notorious bandit leaders and scores of their fighters in Zamfara State during a coordinated air and ground assault on Makakkari Forest.
According to the Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Vice Marshal Ehimen Ejodame, the operation – conducted under Operation Fasan Yamma on Sunday, August 10, 2025 – followed credible Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) reports confirming the movement of over 400 armed bandits. The group was reportedly mobilising to attack a farming community in the area.
In a statement released on Monday, Ejodame said the mission involved precision airstrikes complemented by ground troop advances, which neutralised multiple high-value targets, including some of the region’s most feared bandit kingpins.
“The Nigerian Air Force under Operation Fasan Yamma recorded another major victory against armed bandits in Zamfara State, neutralising several terrorists in a coordinated air and ground assault on Makakkari Forest,” the statement read.
Ejodame noted that the synergy between the air and land components was instrumental to the operation’s success, allowing security forces to dismantle the threat before it could reach civilian populations.
Security experts believe the operation marks a significant blow to armed groups operating in the region, which has endured years of attacks on rural communities, kidnappings, and destruction of farmlands.
The military is expected to sustain similar offensive operations across the Northwest to prevent regrouping of the fleeing fighters.
