Troops of Joint Task Force North West Operation FANSAN YAMMA (JTF NW OPFY) have commenced a major offensive operation in Katsina State, destroying terrorist hideouts and logistics bases as part of efforts to track down criminal elements operating within Matazu Local Government Area and adjoining communities.
According to an official signed statement by the Media Information Officer, Joint Task Force (North West), Operation FANSAN YAMMA, Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Danja, the operation, code-named Operation CLEAN SWEEP III, was launched following the tragic abduction and subsequent death of retired Major General Rabe Abubakar, who was kidnapped alongside his wife by suspected terrorists and bandits in the area.
Lieutenant Colonel Danja stated that the operation is aimed at locating and neutralising those responsible for the heinous act, dismantling criminal networks and restoring security across the affected communities.
He disclosed that since the commencement of the operation on 14 June 2026, troops have carried out aggressive fighting patrols, intelligence-driven raids, cordon-and-search operations and clearance missions across identified criminal hideouts and suspected terrorist enclaves within the Joint Operations Area.
The statement revealed that troops recorded significant successes during operations conducted in the Dikkawa Hills general area and surrounding communities. Clearance missions were executed in Adua, Nasarawa and Karaduwa, where several terrorist hideouts and criminal enclaves were searched and cleared.
During the operations, troops discovered and destroyed terrorists’ life-support structures and logistics bases, a development military authorities said has further degraded the operational capabilities of criminal elements within the area.
The statement further noted that the offensive is being conducted in close collaboration with sister services, other security agencies and local stakeholders whose support has continued to enhance efforts aimed at improving security across the state.
The Theatre Command of JTF OPFY reassured residents of Matazu Local Government Area and neighbouring communities of the military’s commitment to protecting law-abiding citizens and denying terrorists and bandits freedom of action throughout the region.
The task force also urged members of the public to continue providing credible and timely information that could assist security agencies in tracking and apprehending criminal elements, assuring that all information received would be treated with utmost confidentiality.
Military authorities affirmed that troops would sustain pressure on terrorists and bandits until the objectives of the operation are fully achieved, adding that further updates would be provided as the operation progresses.
