Residents of Mansur in Alkeleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State have returned en masse to their homes after months of displacement, following sustained military operations that cleared terrorist strongholds across the Bauchi–Plateau–Taraba corridor.
The development was confirmed in a statement issued by the Acting Assistant Director Army Public Relations, 33 Artillery Brigade, Lieutenant Oluwakemi Fagbolagun, who outlined the sequence of operations that led to the restoration of the community.
According to the statement, the community had been deserted since 26 February 2026, when armed terrorists overran Mansur, forcing residents to flee while farmlands were abandoned and homes left unoccupied for weeks.
The turnaround followed the launch of Operation BUGUN KARKANDA III, a clearance mission directed by Army Headquarters and executed by the 33rd Artillery Brigade, targeting entrenched terrorist positions across multiple forest belts.
She further indicated that the operation was preceded by Operation WUTAN DAJI, described as a deliberate follow-up designed to flush terrorists out of established enclaves and weaken their hold across the wider operational environment.
The troops successfully cleared terrorist elements from Dajin Madam Forest in Plateau State and Kumbodoro Forest in Taraba State, alongside additional locations including Yankari Game Reserve, Bogwas and Rimi in Bauchi State, as well as Odere Forest, Shirnagol, Wanka and Kukarlwa in Plateau State.
Kumbodoro town and Angwan Jauro Sule in Taraba State were also secured during the coordinated operations, further degrading terrorist mobility across the axis.
Following the clearance phase, the operations transitioned into consolidation, involving the handover of secured communities to relevant security agencies and Ministries, Departments and Agencies to stabilise the environment and support the return of displaced populations.
The statement indicated that the return of residents to Mansur on 22 April was marked by widespread celebration, with community members seen inspecting homes, clearing overgrown compounds, and resuming daily life after weeks of disruption.
Community leaders commended the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, for the intervention, describing the return as the beginning of recovery and renewed stability in the area.