Nigerian troops have arrested a key figure in a notorious bandit network, identified as the deputy to wanted kingpin Kachalla Auta, along with his wife, during a coordinated operation in Gombe State.
The suspect, Bala widely known by the alias “Pakapaka” was apprehended alongside his wife, Zulaha Bala, following an intelligence-driven tracking mission that spanned multiple locations.
Security sources revealed that the couple had fled from the Dajin Madam Forest in Plateau State before they were intercepted by operatives.
According to counter-insurgency expert Zagazola Makama, who disclosed the development on X, the arrest was the result of sustained surveillance and coordinated ground operations targeting fleeing members of the criminal network.
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The suspects are currently in custody and undergoing interrogation as authorities work to establish their level of involvement and uncover potential links to other bandit cells operating within and beyond the region.
In a related development, troops carried out follow-up patrols around Bayar village in the Duguri axis after intelligence reports suggested that the main kingpin, Kachalla Auta, had escaped into the area. However, no direct contact was made during the operation.
Security forces have since intensified patrols across the region, maintaining a strong presence aimed at restricting the movement of criminal elements and dismantling their networks across Plateau, Taraba, and neighboring states.
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