Troops of the Joint Task Force North West Operation FANSAN YAMMA (JTF NW OPFY) have launched a major offensive against terrorists and bandits in Matazu Local Government Area of Katsina State, destroying several criminal hideouts and logistics bases in the process.
The operation, code-named Operation CLEAN SWEEP III, commenced on June 14, 2026, as part of intensified efforts to track down and neutralise criminal elements operating within the area and adjoining communities.
According to the Media Information Officer of Operation FANSAN YAMMA, Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Danja, the offensive was initiated following the abduction and subsequent killing of retired Major General Rabe Abubakar, who was kidnapped alongside his wife by suspected terrorists and bandits.
He said the operation is aimed at apprehending those responsible for the attack, dismantling criminal networks and restoring lasting security across affected communities.
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Lieutenant Colonel Danja disclosed that troops have since embarked on aggressive fighting patrols, intelligence-led raids, cordon-and-search operations, and clearance missions across identified terrorist enclaves and criminal hideouts within the Joint Operations Area.
He noted that significant successes had already been recorded in the Dikkawa Hills general area and surrounding communities, where troops carried out clearance operations on suspected terrorist camps located in Adua, Nasarawa and Karaduwa.
According to him, several hideouts were thoroughly searched and combed during the operation, leading to the discovery and destruction of terrorists’ logistics bases and other life-support structures used to sustain their activities.
“The destruction of these facilities has further degraded the operational capabilities of the criminal elements within the area,” the Media Information Officer revealed.
Lieutenant Colonel Danja also disclosed that the operation is being conducted in close collaboration with sister security agencies and local stakeholders, whose support has continued to enhance ongoing efforts to improve security across Katsina State.
He reassured residents of Matazu and neighbouring communities of the military’s commitment to protecting lives and property, stressing that troops would sustain pressure on terrorists and bandits until all operational objectives are achieved.
The Media Information Officer therefore, appealed to members of the public to continue providing credible and timely intelligence to security agencies, assuring that all information received would be treated with strict confidentiality, adding that further updates on the operation would be provided as troops continue their offensive against criminal elements in the region.
 have launched a major offensive against terrorists and bandits in Matazu Local Government Area of Katsina State, destroying several criminal hideouts and logistics bases in the process.){kind=link}