Military rescues 18 in Borno, Kogi, bandits kidnap Kwara women

File photo: Troops of the Nigerian army

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Troops of the  Nigerian Army have successfully rescued 18 victims from abduction in Borno and Kogi states, even as two women were kidnapped in Kwara State by bandits.

In Borno, 12 people, including seven women and five children, were rescued after being abducted on November 14 while traveling along the Gwoza-Limankara Road.

According to a statement posted on the Army’s official Facebook page (@ HQ Nigerian Army), the victims were freed on Sunday from the Mandara Mountains in Gwoza Local Government Area following a clearance mission conducted under Operation Desert Sanity IV and Diligent Search.

The operation, led by the 26 Task Force Brigade with support from hybrid forces, hunters, and vigilantes, involved a pre-dawn assault through rugged mountain terrain toward Uvaha.

“The sheer intensity of troop firepower forced the terrorists to abandon their captives and flee. Amid the chaos, the terrified victims scattered into the surrounding bushes, disoriented and exhausted from days in captivity. They were safely recovered at about 8:45 a.m.,” the statement read.

The rescued individuals, including Fadi Musa, Jummai Manga, Hamsatu Musa, Jummai Ali, Inna Amadu, Falmata Musa, Hadiza Hamman, and five children, were evacuated to the brigade’s field ambulance for urgent medical care before being handed over to local authorities for reunification with their families.

This follows an earlier rescue in southern Borno where troops freed 12 girls abducted from their family farmlands in Askira-Uba.

The rescued girls included Fatima Shaibu (17), Fatima Umaru (15), Hauwa Abubakar (18), Saliha Muhammed (15), Sadiya Umaru (17), Amira Babel (15), Zara Adamu (17), Nana Shaibu (15), Zainab Musa (18), Zainab Muhammed (17), Jamila Saidu (15), and Hauwa Hamidu (17).

In Kogi State, troops of the 12 Brigade Nigerian Army rescued six kidnapped victims in the Ejiba and Saminaka Forest axis, spanning Yagba East and Yagba West Local Government Areas.

Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Lt. Hassan Abdullahi, said the operation followed intensified air and ground offensives with support from the Nigeria Police helicopter.

Five victims have been reunited with their families, while the sixth is receiving medical attention.

Abdullahi reassured the public of the Army’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property and vowed to continue dominating forested areas to deny criminals freedom of action.

The 12 Brigade has in recent months conducted several successful rescue operations, including freeing 20 out of 30 INEC staff and recovering ransom money from abductors.

Meanwhile, in Kwara State, bandits kidnapped two women in Koro, Ekiti Local Government Area, on Tuesday morning.

The victims, Miss Abigael Obagbemi (25) and Mrs Abiodun Olawale (35), were reportedly seized while heading to the market.

A family source said the kidnappers have demanded a ransom of N100m for their release.

The spokesperson for the Kwara State Police Command,SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi said she had not yet received detailed information about the incident.

Koro, which borders Kogi and Ekiti states, has faced repeated security challenges, including the 2024 killing of the Onikoro of Koro, HRH retired General Segun Aremu, along with the abduction of his wife and others.

Residents and security analysts noted that criminals exploit Koro’s proximity to neighbouring states to launch attacks and vanish into isolated terrain.

Over the past year, kidnappings in Ekiti, Ifelodun, and Asa LGAs have targeted traders, travelers, and public officials, with ransom demands ranging from N50m to over N150m, raising concerns about local security capacity.

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