Troops of the 12 Brigade Nigerian Army have rescued the remaining victims abducted from the Daarul-Kitab Islamic Orphanage in Kogi State and arrested a suspected terrorist logistics courier allegedly transporting ammunition across the North-central region.
The army disclosed the operations in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Hassan Abdullahi.
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According to the statement, the rescue operation was carried out under Operation TIGER PAW II following sustained search-and-rescue missions in forested areas around Lokoja Local Government Area.
The victims were abducted on 26 April after gunmen attacked the facility in the Zariagi axis of Lokoja.
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The incident triggered widespread concern in the state after dozens of pupils and staff members were reportedly taken from the facility during a late-night raid.
The police had earlier said 26 persons, including pupils and two wives of the proprietor, were abducted during the attack.
While some pupils later returned, conflicting accounts emerged over whether they were rescued by security operatives or escaped during the chaos.
The proprietor of the institution, Mohammed Tajudeen, had insisted that several pupils reported as rescued actually fled into the bush and later found their way back to safety.
In Wednesday’s update, the army said troops eventually rescued the remaining captives after intercepting them within the Agbaja Forest area of Lokoja.
The rescued victims included five boys, two girls, and two adult women believed to be wives of the school proprietor.
The military said all the victims were evacuated to the 12 Brigade Medical Centre for treatment and medical evaluation.
It added that the victims were in stable condition.
In a separate operation conducted the same day, troops also intercepted a suspected arms courier along the Obajana-Lokoja Road.
The suspect, identified as Yahaya Umar, was allegedly found with 500 rounds of 7.62mm NATO belted ammunition concealed inside a bag of maize.
According to the army, preliminary findings linked the suspect to a network involved in transporting weapons and ammunition to armed groups operating across parts of the North-central region.
Investigators reportedly traced the movement of the ammunition to the Obajana forest area, from where it was allegedly being transported toward Dikko Junction in Niger State for delivery to another suspect yet to be identified.
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The military said the suspect remains in custody and is assisting ongoing investigations aimed at dismantling the logistics network.
The latest operations come amid increasing security concerns in Kogi State, particularly along forest corridors linking Lokoja, Kabba, Obajana, and neighbouring states.
In recent months, security agencies have intensified operations targeting kidnapping gangs, armed groups, and logistics suppliers operating within the region.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that troops of the 12 Brigade had intercepted suspected ammunition couriers in separate operations along the Obajana-Kabba and Jamata-Owara routes, recovering hundreds of rounds of ammunition allegedly destined for terrorist groups.
Authorities have repeatedly described Kogi as a strategic transit route for criminal networks operating between the North-west and North-central regions, with security agencies increasing surveillance along major highways and forest routes.
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