Troops eliminate top bandit leader Kachalla Na Faranshi in counter-insurgency raid

Troops of the Nigerian Army have neutralized a notorious bandit leader, Kachalla Na Faranshi, along with dozens of his fighters in a counter-insurgency operation in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

The operation, part of Operation Fansan Yamma, was confirmed by security analyst Zagazola Makama in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Friday.

According to intelligence sources, Na Faranshi, originally from Shirgi village in Maradi, Niger Republic, was a major arms smuggler, supplying illicit weapons from Mali and Niger to criminal groups in Nigeria’s northwest.

Security sources revealed that he had strong ties with militant factions in Mali and was once an ally of Bello Turji before establishing his own criminal network.

His elimination marks another major success for Nigerian security forces in their fight against banditry and cross-border terrorism.

The Nigerian Army, in collaboration with other security agencies, has intensified operations against terrorist hideouts, particularly in the forests of Zamfara, Katsina, and Sokoto states, as part of efforts to restore peace in the region.