Troops of the Joint Task Force North West have foiled a mass kidnap attempt in Zamfara State, rescuing 48 abducted residents after a fierce gun battle forced terrorists to abandon their captives and flee into the bush.
The operation followed a swift response by troops of Sector 2 to a distress call reporting a terrorist attack on Magami village in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area in the early hours of Saturday.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the Media Information Officer, Joint Task Force (North West), Lt. Col. Aliyu Danja, dozens of terrorists riding about 40 motorcycles stormed the community, rounded up scores of residents and attempted to whisk them away into the forest.
He said while one group of the terrorists carried out the abduction, another remained on the outskirts of the village with the motorcycles.
Upon receiving the distress call, the troops immediately mobilised to the scene and engaged the terrorists in a fierce firefight.
“The operation was launched after troops of Sector 2 received a distress call indicating that a large group of terrorists, riding about 40 motorcycles, had invaded the community. The terrorists rounded up numerous residents with the intention of taking them into the bush, while another group remained at the outskirts of the village with the motorcycles,” Danja said.
He added that the troops’ swift response and superior firepower forced the terrorists to abandon the victims and flee into the surrounding bush.
“On arrival at the scene, the troops immediately engaged the terrorists in a fierce firefight, forcing them to abandon the kidnapped victims and flee into the surrounding bush. The prompt intervention led to the successful rescue of all 48 abducted civilians,” he stated.
The military, however, said one civilian was killed during the attack, while two others sustained gunshot wounds and were evacuated to the General Hospital, Kaura Namoda, where they are receiving treatment.
Following the rescue operation, troops conducted aggressive patrols across the area to dominate the general area and prevent further attacks.
Commending the troops for their gallantry and professionalism, Danja said the Theatre Command remained committed to protecting lives and property across the North West.
“The Theatre Command commends the gallantry and professionalism of the troops for this successful operation and reassures residents of the North West of its unwavering commitment to protecting lives and property,” he said.
He also urged residents to continue supporting security agencies with timely and credible intelligence to sustain ongoing operations against terrorist groups in the region.
“The public is enjoined to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies to sustain the momentum in ridding the North West of terrorist elements,” Danja added.
