Troops of the Nigerian Army’s 2 Division/Sector 3, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, have rescued nine kidnapped victims during ongoing clearance operations in parts of Kwara and Kogi States.
In a statement on Tuesday, Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, Major Polycarp Okoye, said the rescue was carried out on Monday during a night patrol along the Egbe-Okuran axis in Kogi and the Okoloke–Patigi corridor in Kwara.
According to Okoye, the victims — four men and five women — were abducted on September 24 from the Matoku community in Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State.
He identified them as Abdullahi Umar (35), Alhaji Umaru Sarki Fawa (55), Labaran Abubakar (45), Umar Yanda (30), Hassana Muhammad (25), Maryam Muhammad (27), Aisha Idris (20), and Zainab Ahmed (12). The victims, he said, received first aid and food before being handed over to local authorities in Patigi for reunification with their families.
“On interrogation, the victims revealed that terrorists attacked their village about three weeks ago, kidnapped several persons, and rustled an unconfirmed number of cattle,” Okoye said.
He added that the captors abandoned the victims and fled after sustained military operations in the area made them apprehensive.
The army spokesperson noted that the success was part of ongoing clearance missions across Esanlu, Patigi, Babasango, Etsuyum, and surrounding communities in Kwara and Kogi States.
During a visit to Lata in Patigi LGA, the General Officer Commanding 2 Division and Commander of Sector 3, Major General Chinedu Nnebeife, addressed the victims and commended the troops for their efforts.
Nnebeife also lauded the cooperation between the 12 and 22 Brigades and urged continued synergy to consolidate security gains.
He appealed to residents to provide credible intelligence to help security agencies combat banditry and protect lives and property across the region.
