Troops Rescue Over 60 Kidnap Victims, Arrest 44 Suspects Nationwide
Troops of the Nigerian Armed Forces have rescued more than 60 kidnapped victims and arrested 44 suspects during various operations across the country between September 18 and 24, 2026.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Michael Onoja, disclosed this on Saturday while briefing defence correspondents on ongoing military operations against terrorism, kidnapping, arms trafficking and other security threats.
Onoja said a Nigerian Air Force aircraft disrupted the movement of terrorists transporting a large number of kidnapped victims around Bazama in Sakaba Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
According to him, the operation forced the terrorists to abandon their captives, enabling more than 60 victims to escape, while ground troops rescued additional abductees in Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara states.
Among those rescued were 17 victims along the Isa-Kwanar Isa axis in Sokoto State and seven university students abducted along the Daye-Malumfashi road in Katsina State.
“Troops also rescued five victims, including the Executive Chairman of Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara, from terrorist captivity at Sekpore village in Kaura Namoda,” Onoja said.
In Borno State, troops intercepted 44 members of terrorist families at Konduga in Bama Local Government Area. The group comprised 13 women and 31 children who reportedly fled terrorist camps amid clashes between rival factions.
Onoja also disclosed that more than 20 terrorist fighters and their family members surrendered to troops in Gwoza, Dikwa and Ngala Local Government Areas of Borno State.
He attributed the surrender to hardship and a lack of basic necessities in terrorist enclaves around the Mandara Mountains.
The military also arrested suspected terrorist informants, collaborators, logistics suppliers and kidnappers in different parts of the country.
In Yobe State, troops arrested a suspected terrorist collaborator and a spy at Geidam Market, while a suspected kidnapper was apprehended in Gubio, Borno State.
The suspect subsequently led troops to Ardimini village, where an AK-47 rifle and a magazine containing 12 rounds of ammunition were recovered.
In Sokoto State, four suspected members of a terrorist group were arrested while allegedly transporting rustled cattle near Illela.
Similarly, three suspects were arrested in Faskari, Katsina State, for allegedly transporting N2.7 million intended for a suspected terrorist kingpin.
In the North-Central, troops operating under Operation Whirl Stroke arrested several suspects allegedly involved in kidnapping and arms trafficking across Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa and Taraba states.
Two suspected kidnappers were arrested along the Otukpo-Makurdi road in Benue State, where troops recovered a rifle and ammunition. Another suspected gunrunner was arrested in Kwande.
In Bauchi State, troops and Forest Guards killed three suspected kidnappers during an ambush at Kudu Yamma in Ningi Local Government Area and rescued six kidnap victims. A rifle and ammunition were also recovered.
Meanwhile, troops of Operation Enduring Peace arrested 11 suspects during raids on suspected kidnapping syndicate hideouts in Shere, Gwafan and Maza Hills in Plateau State.
Four of the suspects were reportedly identified by victims as alleged members of the syndicate responsible for their abduction.
In the South-East, troops of Operation Udo Ka engaged suspected secessionist militants at Obibi Forest in Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State.
The suspects reportedly fled the area, abandoning a general-purpose machine gun, a rifle, ammunition and a motorcycle.
Troops also arrested a suspected informant and rescued a woman who was allegedly abducted about two months earlier from her hairdressing salon in Orsu.
The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, commended the troops for their efforts and urged Nigerians to continue providing credible and timely information to security agencies.
