Troops of Operation Thunder Strike, a formation of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), intercepted and killed no fewer than 20 bandits who were advancing towards the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna.
According to a report by PR Nigeria, the bandits who came in over 50 motorcycles were seen on Thursday evening, making for the military cantonment.
The development came few months after a group of bandits successfully attacked the academy.
In that attack, aside from the officers killed and kidnapped, some others suffered gunshot injuries.
According to the report, the bandits were intercepted following a tip-off on their movement through the military school’s general areas.
The NAF helicopter gunships were said to have been dispatched to engage the criminals, who had taken off from Damari village in Birnin Gwari local government area of Kaduna State.
“The bandits were said to have been sighted in makeshift tents and motorcycles numbering about 50.
“On sighting the aircraft, the bandits started fleeing into the fringes of the forest. This brought about an objective and very decisive rain of hell from above on the miscreants as surviving bandits seen to be scampering for safety from the superior air presence were effectively mopped up.
“More so as it is customary, feedback received on Friday after the operation from both the ground forces and local sources, revealed that the bandits were effectively disoriented and suffered a loss of about 20 bandits.
“Also, their plan of harassing and shaming the NDA and the government of the day was effectively thwarted,” a NAF source said.
