60+ Kidnap Victims Rescued as Troops Arrest 44 Suspects

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) says troops of the Armed Forces rescued more than 60 kidnapped victims and arrested 44 suspects during operations across the country between September 18 and 24, 2026.

The Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Michael Onoja, disclosed this on Saturday while briefing defence correspondents on military operations against terrorism, kidnapping, arms trafficking, oil theft, and other security threats.

Onoja said a Nigerian Air Force jet disrupted terrorists transporting a large number of captives around Bazama in Sakaba Local Government Area of Kebbi State, forcing them to abandon the victims.

He said more than 60 captives escaped, while ground troops separately rescued victims in Katsina, Sokoto, and Zamfara states.

The rescued victims included 17 people along the Isa-Kwanar Isa axis in Sokoto and seven university students abducted along the Daye-Malumfashi road in Katsina. Five others, including the chairman of Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara State, were rescued from terrorist captivity in Kaura Namoda.

In Borno State, troops intercepted 44 members of terrorist families, comprising 13 women and 31 children, at Konduga in Bama Local Government Area. The group reportedly escaped from terrorist camps during clashes between rival factions.

More than 20 terrorist fighters and family members also surrendered to troops in Gwoza, Dikwa, and Ngala, citing hardship and shortages of basic necessities in their enclaves.

Across other theaters, troops arrested suspected terrorist collaborators, informants, kidnappers, and arms traffickers. In Plateau State, Operation Enduring Peace arrested 11 suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate during raids on hideouts in Shere, Gwafan, and Maza Hills. Some of the suspects were identified by rescued victims as allegedly linked to their abduction.

In Bauchi, troops and Forest Guards also rescued six kidnapped victims during an operation in Ningi Local Government Area, while three suspected kidnappers were killed, according to the military.

The military said troops also recovered weapons and ammunition in several operations across the Northwest, North-Central, and South-East.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, commended the troops and urged Nigerians to continue providing credible and timely information to security agencies.