Troops of the Nigerian Army carry out an exhumation operation in Kogi State to obtain a body for forensic examination. Multiple reports say soldiers led by the Commander of 12 Brigade, Lokoja, Brigadier General Karim Sidi, enter a deep forest near Iluke in the Bunu area of Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area. The operation is conducted on Monday, June 16, 2026, after the suspected bandit kingpin Ibrahim Battijo is reportedly neutralised during an incident in the same area.
The reports link Battijo’s death to a failed mass kidnapping attempt targeting students sitting for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) exams in Iluke on June 10, 2026. Security analyst Zagazola Makama states that the exhumation is meant to allow proper forensic checks and to confirm the circumstances of Battijo’s death following the encounter with troops.
A video of the exhumation circulates online, as the operation forms part of broader military efforts to address banditry and kidnapping in northern Nigeria.
