Military Foils Mass Kidnappings in Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna
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Military Foils Mass Kidnappings in Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
The Defence Headquarters, DHQ has Friday said troops of Operation Fansan Yamma foiled several mass abduction attempts across Zamfara, Katsina and Kaduna states in July, rescuing 191 kidnapped victims, neutralising 33 terrorists and arresting 66 suspected criminals.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, disclosed this during the monthly briefing on ongoing military operations in Abuja, saying sustained offensives had significantly disrupted terrorists’ activities across the North-West.
According to him, troops carried out intelligence-led operations, fighting patrols and rescue missions across Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi and Zamfara states, leading to the recovery of arms, motorcycles, improvised explosive device components and other logistics used by terrorists.
Among the major operations, troops on July 26 responded to an attack on Magama village in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State, engaging the attackers with superior firepower and rescuing 48 abducted civilians.
READ ALSO: Troops Neutralise 54 Terrorists, Arrest 102 in North-East Operations in July
INCNews247 reports that, earlier, on July 25, troops responded to a distress call following the abduction of a local government chairman and members of his family in Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
The military said the swift pursuit forced the terrorists to abandon the victims, leading to the rescue of the chairman’s two wives, a mother and her two children, while efforts continued to rescue the remaining captives.
On July 27, troops launched a search-and-rescue operation after terrorists attacked a commercial bus along the Kano-Kaduna highway in the Falgore Forest area of Doguwa Local Government Area of Kano State.
The operation, according to Onoja, led to the rescue of 10 of the 13 abducted passengers, while security forces continued combing the forest for the remaining victims.
The DHQ also said troops rescued 11 abducted civilians after confronting terrorists who mounted a road blockade along the Gummi-Sokoto Road in Zamfara State on July 21.
In another operation, soldiers rescued eight commuters kidnapped during an attack at Ungwan Rogo village in Kaura Namoda, while five other victims were freed from a terrorist camp near Tungan Kudaduku village in Anka Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
Onoja said troops also rescued a woman abducted from Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State and later found near Kaso River in Kajuru Local Government Area, while another victim, Mahadi Haruna, regained his freedom after troops stormed terrorists’ hideouts in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
He added that between July 28 and 29, troops intensified operations across Zamfara and Sokoto states, neutralising 15 terrorists and rescuing 59 civilians, including the Rector of Federal Polytechnic, Kaura Namoda, Dr Aminu Yusuf, members of his family, prominent businessman Alhaji Azaria and several residents targeted during coordinated kidnapping attempts.
The military also said troops, working alongside police tactical units, rescued an additional 32 abducted victims—comprising six adult males and 26 females, mostly children—in Rabah Local Government Area of Sokoto State after forcing the fleeing terrorists to abandon their captives.
Onoja reaffirmed the military’s commitment to sustaining offensive operations against terrorists and kidnappers, urging residents to continue providing timely intelligence to security agencies to enhance ongoing operations.
