Nigerian troops of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) have successfully recovered approximately 1,000 rustled cattle and neutralized two bandits during a fierce gun battle along the Taraba-Plateau border.

According to counter-insurgency expert Zagazola Makama, who specializes in the Lake Chad region, the military operation was launched following intelligence received on April 25 about a large-scale cattle rustling incident. Over 60 armed bandits, mounted on 30 motorcycles, had crossed from Plateau into Taraba State to rustle cattle from a Fulani settlement near Jebjeb.

Troops from the 6 Brigade reportedly mobilized swiftly in response to the alert, joining forces with military personnel already stationed at Jebjeb who had previously engaged the fleeing bandits. The combined military forces advanced to Komodoro village in Taraba State, where they made contact with the bandits who had attempted to escape by crossing back into Daji Madam Forest in Plateau State.

During the ensuing firefight, two bandits were killed by the Nigerian troops. The military successfully recovered approximately 1,000 stolen cattle that had been rustled from the Fulani settlement.

Military sources confirmed that the recovered livestock have been moved to Jebjeb for safekeeping, pending their return to the rightful owners. This operation represents a significant success in the ongoing efforts to combat banditry and cattle rustling in the volatile border region between Taraba and Plateau states.

The incident highlights the persistent security challenges in Nigeria's Middle Belt region, where conflicts between herders and farmers, as well as activities of armed bandits, continue to threaten rural communities and agricultural livelihoods.