ABUJA, THE Nigerian military has killed 78 suspected armed bandits, arrested 25 others and 14 kidnappers during ongoing operations northwest of the country.

Fifty (50) people have been rescued from kidnappers during the operations initiated recently.

A setback was suffered after armed bandits killed two Air Force personnel this week.

The operations have been intensified in the states of Kaduna and Zamfara.

Operations have culminated in the recovery of more than 2 200 cattle after realisation that suspects were generating money through livestock rustling to fund their activities.

Colonel Onyema Nwachukwu, Acting Director: Defence Information, said suspects were undergoing preliminary investigations pending appearance in court.

Presently, the troops are jointly dominating flashpoints with aggressive land and aerial patrols, among others to deny the bandits freedom of action, he assured.

In a setback, the Air Force lost two officers following an ambush by armed bandits on a highway in Kaduna on Tuesday.

They have been buried promptly in accordance with Islamic rites.

Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, urged officers not to be demoralised.

Personnel must remain resolute and continue working assiduously, in synergy with sister services and other security agencies, to rid the Northwest of all criminal elements, Abubakar encouraged.

The West African country is battling the rising tide of banditry,

kidnappings and terror by the Islamist Boko Haram group.

Source: CAJ News Agency