Troops of the Nigerian Army have neutralized a notorious bandit kingpin, Kachalla Na Faranshi, alongside scores of his fighters in a counter-insurgency operation in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
The successful raid, part of Operation Fansan Yamma, was disclosed by security analyst and counter-insurgency expert, Zagazola Makama, in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Friday.
According to intelligence sources who spoke with Makama, Na Faranshi, originally from Shirgi village in Maradi, Niger Republic, was a key figure in arms smuggling and organized crime across Nigeria’s northwestern region.
“He was known for smuggling illicit firearms from Mali and Niger, supplying weapons to various armed groups operating in Nigeria’s northwestern forests,” Makama revealed.
Security sources confirmed that the slain terrorist leader had strong ties with militant factions in Mali and was previously an ally of Bello Turji, another infamous terrorist. However, he later broke away to establish his criminal network.
The killing of Na Faranshi marks another significant victory for Nigerian security forces in their battle against banditry and cross-border terrorism.
The Nigerian Army, in collaboration with other security agencies, has intensified its crackdown on terrorist hideouts, particularly in the forests of Zamfara, Katsina, and Sokoto states, where criminal elements operate.
The success of this operation signals the military’s ongoing commitment to restoring peace and security in the North-West region, which has been plagued by armed violence and mass kidnappings.
