Residents of Mansur community in Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State have returned en masse to their ancestral homes after months of displacement by bandit attacks.
- +Displaced Bauchi residents return after troops clear bandits
The development was disclosed on Thursday in a statement by the Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 33 Artillery Brigade, Lt Oluwakemi Fagbolagun.
The development was disclosed on Thursday in a statement by the Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 33 Artillery Brigade, Lt Oluwakemi Fagbolagun.
Fagbolagun said the residents fled the community on February 26, 2026, after terrorists overran the village, forcing families to seek refuge elsewhere, but returned on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.
He noted that for nearly two months, farmlands were abandoned and homes left unoccupied.
“The turnaround began with Operation Bugun Karkanda III, directed by Army Headquarters. This was a sweeping clearance operation conducted by the 33 Artillery Brigade.
“It was preceded by Operation Wutan Daji, a deliberate follow-up aimed at flushing terrorists out of their strongholds,” he said.
According to him, the operations led to the clearance of terrorists from Dajin Madam Forest in Plateau State and Kumbodoro Forest in Taraba State.
Other cleared areas included Yankari Game Reserve, Bogwas and Rimi in Bauchi State, as well as Odere Forest, Shirnagol, Wanka and Kukarlwa in Plateau State.
Kumbodoro town and Angwan Jauro Sule in Taraba State were also secured.
He added that the operations resulted in the liberation of communities such as Mansur, previously under terrorist control.
“The operations have now entered the consolidation phase, which involves handing over cleared areas to relevant security agencies and Ministries, Departments and Agencies to maintain law and order and facilitate the return of displaced persons,” he stated.
Fagbolagun further described scenes of celebration as residents returned to the community.
“Men, women and children sang and danced their way back into the village. Many were seen inspecting their homes and clearing overgrown bushes within their compounds,” he added.
He said community leaders commended the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Waidi Shaibu, for restoring peace to the area.
Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, had earlier said thousands of bandits were neutralised in recent security operations across affected parts of the state.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, the governor attributed the success to coordinated efforts by security agencies, including the Nigerian Air Force, the Armed Forces, intelligence services and local vigilante groups.
Mohammed said the intervention followed a request by the state government to President Bola Tinubu over worsening insecurity in Alkaleri and neighbouring states of Plateau, Taraba and Gombe.
He noted that the operations, which lasted about two weeks, involved intelligence gathering, aerial surveillance, tracking and interception, leading to the disruption of bandit camps and logistics networks.
According to him, supply routes were destroyed, cutting off access to food, fuel and mobility for the criminals, while several camps and settlements were bombarded and dismantled, forcing surviving bandits to flee.
The governor added that security agencies would sustain the offensive through continued surveillance, prevention of regrouping and rapid response operations.
He also urged residents to remain vigilant and support security agencies by reporting suspicious movements, warning that anyone found aiding bandits would face sanctions.
Mohammed further stressed the need for proper documentation and biometric registration of residents and new settlers to prevent the emergence of ungoverned spaces.
