Troops rescue over 60 abductees, arrest 44 suspects nationwide
Military Operations Yield Significant Rescues and Arrests Nationwide
The Defence Headquarters reported that Armed Forces troops rescued over 60 individuals who had been kidnapped and apprehended 44 suspects during operations conducted across Nigeria from September 18 to September 24, 2026.
During a briefing with defense correspondents on Saturday, Maj.-Gen. Michael Onoja, the Director of Defence Media Operations, outlined the military’s ongoing efforts against terrorism, kidnapping, arms trafficking, and other security challenges.
Onoja noted that a Nigerian Air Force aircraft successfully disrupted a group of terrorists transporting a large number of captives near Bazama in the Sakaba Local Government Area of Kebbi State. This operation compelled the assailants to abandon their captives, allowing more than 60 victims to escape, while ground troops carried out rescues in Katsina, Sokoto, and Zamfara States.
Among those rescued were 17 individuals along the Isa-Kwanar Isa route in Sokoto and seven university students who had been abducted on the Daye-Malumfashi road in Katsina. Troops also freed five victims, including the Executive Chairman of Bungudu Local Government Area in Zamfara, from captivity in Sekpore village, Kaura Namoda.
In Borno State, military personnel intercepted 44 individuals, comprising 13 women and 31 children, who were members of terrorist families. They had fled from terrorist camps during clashes between rival factions in the region. Additionally, more than 20 terrorist fighters and their families surrendered to troops in Gwoza, Dikwa, and Ngala local government areas, citing severe hardships in terrorist-controlled areas of the Mandara Mountains.
Troops also apprehended several suspected informants, collaborators, and logistics suppliers linked to terrorist operations. In Yobe State, a suspicious collaborator and a spy were captured at Geidam market, while a suspected kidnapper was arrested in Gubio, Borno, who subsequently led forces to Ardimini village, where an AK-47 and ammunition were recovered.
In Sokoto, four individuals allegedly connected to a terrorist group were arrested while transporting stolen cattle near Illela, and three more were detained in Faskari, Katsina, for allegedly delivering 2.7 million naira intended for a suspected terrorist leader.
In the North-Central region, forces involved in Operation Whirl Stroke detained suspects reportedly engaged in kidnapping and arms trafficking across Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa, and Taraba States. Two suspected kidnappers were arrested along the Otukpo-Makurdi road in Benue, leading to the recovery of a rifle and ammunition. Another suspect, believed to be a gunrunner, was arrested in Kwande.
In Bauchi, military personnel in conjunction with Forest Guards killed three suspected kidnappers during an ambush in Ningi Local Government Area, rescuing six victims and seizing a rifle and ammunition.
Operation Enduring Peace troops in Plateau State arrested 11 suspects in raids targeting suspected kidnapping syndicates in Shere, Gwafan, and Maza Hills. Four individuals were identified by victims as members of the group linked to their abduction.
In the South-East, forces of Operation Udo Ka engaged suspected secessionist terrorists at Obibi Forest in Imo State, resulting in the suspects fleeing and leaving behind a general-purpose machine gun, a rifle, ammunition, and a motorcycle. Troops also apprehended a suspected informant and rescued a woman who had been kidnapped approximately two months prior from her hairdressing salon.
Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, Chief of Defence Staff, commended the troops for their contributions and urged the public to continue providing credible and timely information to security agencies to support ongoing efforts against these threats.
