Troops have arrested the second-in-command to a suspected bandit kingpin, Kachalla Auta, alongside his wife in Gombe State following an intelligence-led operation conducted across multiple locations.

The suspects, identified as Bala, also known as “Pakapaka,” and his wife, Zulaha Bala, were apprehended after reportedly fleeing from Dajin Madam Forest in Plateau State.

Security analyst Zagazola Makama said the arrests were achieved through sustained intelligence surveillance and coordinated ground tracking by security operatives targeting members of the fleeing criminal network.

The suspects are currently in custody and undergoing interrogation to determine the extent of their involvement in the group’s activities, as well as possible links to other cells operating within and outside the region.

In a related development, troops carried out follow-up patrols around Bayar village in the Duguri axis after intelligence suggested that the main bandit leader had fled into the area. However, no contact was made during the operation.

Security sources added that troops have continued to maintain a strong presence in the area through sustained patrols aimed at restricting the movement of criminal elements and disrupting their networks across Plateau, Taraba, and neighbouring states.