Newsmen gathered that the village was under the control of bandits before the crisis. A local told newsmen that Katanga and Satiru were hitherto under the control of bandits loyal to Bello Turji.

A vigilante, who was part of the operation, said it was led by the General Officer Commanding 8 Division of the Nigerian Army and the team consist of other high-ranking officers, including the Garrison Commander of the division.

“Over 20 vehicles stormed the enclave, we fought them for several hours it took the intervention of fighter jets to force them to retreat and succumb to our might.

“It’s too early for me to tell the number of the terrorists killed during the encounter, but there is not a single casualty on our side. So the operation is successful,” he said. A resident of Isa town told our reporter that several bandits were sighted moving towards the area to support their men during the encounter.

“But from the information that has been reaching us, they were dealt mercilessly by the military.

“As I am talking to you, the GOC and his men are still combing our bushes in search of the bandits’ hideouts,” he said

According to a military source, the GOC had vowed not to come back until they clear all their enclaves in the eastern parts of Sokoto.

“He is a man of commitment who doesn’t want a blemished record. He is there leading the troop in the bush,” the source added.

Meanwhile, the federal government has distributed relief materials to victims of banditry in the state.

The Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr. Mustapha Habib, said the items were immediate and interim supports to cushion the hardships faced by the victims.