BREAKING News: Military Rescues 17 Civilians, Arrests 20 Across Nigeria
By Hakeem Oduyoye
No fewer than 17 persons have been rescued in nationwide military operations, as troops arrested 20 suspects linked to terrorism, kidnapping, cattle rustling, and communal violence across multiple states.
The raids, conducted by troops of Operations Enduring Peace and Whirl Stroke in the North-Central region, targeted criminal hideouts across Plateau, Benue, Nasarawa, and Kaduna States, leading to the arrest of 15 suspects and the rescue of four kidnapped victims.
“In the North-East, the troops of 192 Battalion, working in collaboration with the Civilian Joint Task Force, engaged Islamic State West Africa Province and Jama’at Ahl as-Sunnah terrorists in a fierce encounter at Hudugum Village in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, neutralising two insurgents in the operation,” the statement read.
In the North-West, soldiers from 1 Brigade stopped two kidnap attempts in Zamfara State. They rescued 11 people in separate operations along the Magami–Jan Gemi road and the Kucheri–Bilbis road.
The military further disclosed that three terrorists — identified as Fannami Ari (aka Abu Dujana), Hussaini Hassan Modu (aka Abu Yusuf), and another trainee — surrendered to troops in Kukawa and Damboa Local Government Areas, citing frustration with their leaders and harsh living conditions in the terrorist enclaves.
According to the statement, the rescued victims have been reunited with their families, while troops continue aggressive patrols and clearance operations aimed at denying terrorists freedom of movement and crippling their supply networks.