Army Troops Rescue 16 Kidnap Victims, Neutralize Three Bandits In Kaduna

Troops of Operation Forest Sanity have rescued 16 kidnapped victims in operations spanning Birnin Gwari-Kaduna Road and a location in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The State Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, in a statement on Tuesday, January 24, 2023, said the troops responded to a distress call along the Udawa-Manini axis of the Birnin Gwari-Kaduna Road.

“The troops arrived to foil the attack, rescuing 15 persons in the process. Some of the rescued persons who sustained injuries were rushed to hospital for treatment,” the statement read.

“Similarly, troops of Operation Forest Sanity responded to a distress call from Gonan Doctor village, Igabi LGA, and laid ambush at a likely crossing point in Maraban Huda village.

“Contact was made with the bandits, and following a firefight, one bandit was neutralized. A kidnapped victim was rescued, though injured by the bandits, and was rushed to the Jaji Cantonment Hospital for treatment. One motorcycle was recovered.

“Furthermore, in response to credible intelligence of bandits’ movement around an interstate boundary area, troops of Operation Forest Sanity set up ambush positions around Mangoro general area around Chikun-Birnin Gwari LGA, on the boundary with Shiroro LGA of neighboring Niger State.

“The troops engaged the approaching bandits and neutralized two. The troops also recovered one AK47 rifle, one pump action gun, one Improvised Explosive Device, one Baofeng Radio, and 10 motorcycles.

“Governor Nasir El-Rufai received the reports with gratitude and expressed satisfaction at the breakthroughs recorded by the security forces. The Governor commended the troops for the successful rescues, and prayed for the quick recovery of injured victims.”