The military said the intelligence-driven operation targeted Battijo's network after actionable intelligence and surveillance assets tracked the movement of the terrorist leader and his associates.
Troops of the Nigerian Army, working alongside the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) Tactical Team, have reportedly killed notorious terrorist kingpin, Kachalla Ibrahim Battijo, and more than 15 members of his criminal network during a major intelligence-led operation in Kogi State.
The operation, which security authorities described as a significant breakthrough in the fight against terrorism and kidnapping in Nigeria's North-Central region, also thwarted a planned mass abduction of students sitting for the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
According to military authorities, Battijo, who had been on the security watchlist for several violent crimes, was neutralised on June 10, 2026, during a failed kidnapping operation in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
Security sources identified Battijo as the alleged mastermind of the recent attack on a church in Eruku, Kwara State, an incident that heightened concerns over the growing activities of armed groups operating across parts of the North-Central region.
