In a swift and covert operation, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), supported by the Nigerian military, neutralised no fewer than 45 armed bandits near Kuchi town in Munya Local Government Area of Niger State, The Nation has gathered.
Security sources confirmed the raid was launched in the early hours of Monday, June 2, following precise intelligence that a group of heavily armed bandits—numbering about 100—were advancing toward Kuchi from forests in Kaduna and Zamfara States. The attack was reportedly coordinated by notorious kingpin Dogo Gide.
“Operatives mounted a surprise ambush at the outskirts of Kuchi town. What followed was a fierce gun duel that left about 45 of the terrorists dead,” a source involved in the operation disclosed. “Motorcycles and weapons were recovered from the scene, and several of the bandits escaped with injuries.”
According to the source, the DSS had tracked the bandits’ movements as part of its renewed covert operations aimed at dismantling terror cells in the region. The planned attack, reportedly orchestrated by Dogo Gide and his loyalists, was preempted by the timely intelligence gathered.
“These terrorists had come from Bilbis forest in Zamfara and other hideouts in Kaduna, mobilised by Gide to attack villages in Munya. But the SSS operatives had them in their sights long before they arrived,” the source said.
Five DSS operatives were injured during the raid and are currently receiving treatment, security officials confirmed.
“This operation is part of an ongoing offensive that earlier resulted in the elimination of over 50 bandits. Dogo Gide’s network is under serious pressure,” another official revealed. “They are losing territory fast to the superior tactics and firepower of our operatives.”
A resident of Munya, who asked not to be named for security reasons, praised the security forces: “This kind of precise and surprise response is what we’ve been hoping for. The heat is on the bandits now. We just hope it continues.”
The successful operation is the latest in a string of offensives aimed at reclaiming territories from armed groups in Niger State and restoring calm to rural communities long plagued by insecurity.
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