The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) on Saturday, September 26, said troops of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) rescued more than 60 kidnapped victims and arrested 44 suspects during operations nationwide in the last seven days..
Director of Defence Media Operations (DMO), Major General Michael Onoja, disclosed this while briefing defence correspondents on operations carried out between September 18 and September 24.
Onoja said the operations were conducted against terrorism, kidnapping, arms trafficking, oil theft and other security threats across the country.
Given a breakdown of the operations, he said that a Nigerian Air Force jet disrupted the movement of terrorists conveying a large number of kidnapped victims around Bazama, Sakaba Local Government Area of Kebbi State..
According to him, the manoeuvres forced the terrorists to abandon their captives, enabling more than 60 kidnapped victims to escape.
He also said that ground troops rescued several victims in separate operations across Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara states.
According to him, those rescued included 17 victims along the Isa-Kwanar Isa axis in Sokoto State and seven university students along the Daye-Malumfashi road in Katsina State.
“Troops also rescued five victims, including the Executive Chairman of Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara State, from terrorist captivity at Sekpore village in Kaura Namoda.”
Onoja added that in the North-East, troops intercepted 44 terrorist family members, comprising 13 women and 31 children, at Konduga in Bama Local Government Area of Borno State.
He said that the victims had escaped from terrorist camps amid clashes between rival terrorist factions.
The defence spokesman further said that more than 20 terrorist fighters and family members also surrendered to troops in Gwoza, Dikwa and Ngala Local Government Areas of Borno State.
According to him, the surrendering terrorists cited hardship and lack of basic necessities in terrorist enclaves on the Mandara Mountains as reasons for abandoning the groups.
He also said that troops arrested suspected terrorist informants, collaborators and logistics suppliers during the period under review.
“Toops arrested a suspected terrorist collaborator and a spy at Geidam market in Yobe State, as well as a suspected kidnapper at Gubio, Borno State.
“The suspected kidnapper led troops to Ardimini village, where they recovered an AK-47 rifle and a magazine containing 12 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition,” he said.
Onoja said that in the same vein in the North-West, troops arrested four suspected members of a terrorist group conveying rustled cattle near Illela, Sokoto State.
He also said that troops arrested three suspects in Faskari, Katsina, who were allegedly conveying N2.7 million intended for a notorious terrorist kingpin.
In Kaduna State, he said troops engaged terrorists around the Abuja-Kaduna rail line and recovered a rifle and ammunition, while another suspect was arrested at Awon community with a locally fabricated pistol and seven rounds of 9mm ammunition.
In the North-Central, the defence spokesman said that troops of Operation Whirl Stroke arrested several suspects involved in kidnapping and arms trafficking across Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa and Taraba states.
He said troops arrested two suspected kidnappers along the Otukpo-Makurdi road in Benue State and recovered a rifle and ammunition.
