Troops rescue 27 kidnap victims in Katsina, recover abandoned motorcycle
- Soldiers of Operation Fansan Yamma rescued 27 residents abducted in Gamji community, Sabuwa LGA, Katsina State.
- The military said troops pursued the abductors along the Gangare–Kamba axis and forced them to abandon the victims.
- In a separate patrol in Kankara LGA, troops found three motorcycles and recovered one left behind by fleeing suspects.
Soldiers of Operation Fansan Yamma, the joint military task force covering north-west Nigeria, have rescued 27 people who were abducted in Katsina State, the military said on Tuesday.
The rescue happened on 16 October in Gamji community, Sabuwa Local Government Area, according to a statement by Lt. Col. Aliyu Danja, media information officer of the Joint Task Force (North West).
Danja said troops of Sector 1 received a distress call that armed men had taken 27 residents — 15 males and 12 females.
Soldiers moved after the abductors along the Gangare–Kamba axis, the statement said. On meeting them, the troops opened fire and the gunmen fled, leaving the victims behind.
All 27 were rescued unhurt, the military said. They were screened and handed over to community leaders to be reunited with their families.
A second operation in Kankara
In a separate operation the same day, troops on a fighting patrol around Kurba village in Kankara Local Government Area came across armed men on three motorcycles.
The men fled when they saw the soldiers, abandoning one motorcycle, according to the statement.
The military said the two operations showed its troops were keeping pressure on armed groups and protecting vulnerable communities in the region.
The theatre commander of Operation Fansan Yamma praised the soldiers for their speed and promised residents of Katsina, Zamfara and nearby states that the task force would keep working to restore peace.
For families in rural Katsina, abduction remains a daily fear. Farmers and travellers in Sabuwa, Kankara and other local government areas have repeatedly been targets of armed groups, and many communities rely on security patrols to move safely.
The military did not say whether anyone was arrested in either operation, and it gave no further details on the suspects.
What happens next
The 27 rescued residents are now with their community leaders and are expected to return to their families.
The military says patrols will continue across Katsina, Zamfara and neighbouring states.
