Special forces have eliminated a number of bandits laying siege at the Kaduna-Abuja highway in Nigeria’s North-West.

After months of laxity, amid national outrage over kidnappings and killings, the federal government finally ordered reinforcement, additional equipment and increased surveillance.

More than a dozen bandits were annihilated between Thursday and Friday in a major onslaught that followed viral videos of abductions and enemy gunfire.

Intelligence operatives disclosed that some of the corpses were recognized as residents of nearby villages.

“We have so far killed more than a dozen armed bandits who attempted to escape on motorcycles after sighting the movements of troops.

“Most of them are behind recent abductions on the highways as some people identified the corpses as known faces within the communities”, a military officer told PRNigeria.

The massive deployment of troops and assets followed President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive.

The President gave the order at the National Security Council (NSC) meeting on Thursday.