Nigerian security forces have rescued eight kidnapped persons during a joint operation in the Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The Nigerian Army announced the breakthrough via its official Facebook page on Thursday, confirming that the rescue took place on Wednesday.
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The statement said troops from Sector 7, Operation Enduring Peace (OPEP), acting on credible and actionable intelligence, launched a swift offensive into a notorious kidnapper’s hideout located within the Badurum Kasa Forest.
“The troops, operating in synergy with the Zango Kataf Police Area Command, Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), Forest Guards, and local hunters, advanced decisively into the forest,” the Army stated.
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The encounter reached a climax in the late afternoon as security forces closed in on the criminal camp.
“At about 1759 hours (5:59 p.m.), contact was made, triggering panic among the kidnappers who—unable to withstand the superior force and precision of the joint team—abandoned their captives and fled in disarray into the surrounding bushes.”
The military confirmed that all eight victims were rescued unharmed and have since been reunited with their families.
The Army identified the rescued individuals as: Rashida Musa, 19, Hafsat Nuhu, 18, Zakari Saleh, 52, Hasiya Yahaya, Ahmed Yahaya, 14, Ibrahim Saiba, 11, Salma Yahaya, 14, and Sophan Idris,18
It stated that this successful mission “stresses the Nigerian Army’s robust inter-agency synergy, agile ground manoeuvres, and relentless resolve to protect lives, secure critical routes, and deny criminal elements the freedom of action.”
This development comes at a critical time for Kaduna State, which has faced a persistent wave of mass abductions targeting both rural communities and religious institutions.
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While this specific operation in Kauru LGA brought eight people home, the state remains on edge following recent attacks on church members in Kajuru Local Government Area.
About 151 people abducted in a church at Wali, on 18 January, are still in captivity.
