Troops of the Nigerian Army, in collaboration with other security agencies and local security groups, have rescued 21 kidnap victims in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi.

This was contained in a statement by Lt.

Abdullahi said the victims, comprising eight males and 13 females, were rescued on Monday during a coordinated search operation in the Egume and Ochaja forest areas.

He said the operation followed reports of the abduction of road users along the Alloma-Ejule-Itobe road axis.

“Acting on credible intelligence, troops of 12 Brigade, alongside personnel of the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services, local hunters and vigilantes, mobilised from 21 Battalion.

 “The joint team subsequently conducted an extensive search of adjoining forests, leading to the successful rescue of all 21 victims.

 “However, one of the male victims sustained a gunshot wound during the incident and was promptly evacuated to a medical facility for treatment.

 “The rescued victims are currently in the custody of the troops, pending their handover to the appropriate authorities,” he said.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, has commended the troops and personnel of the collaborating security agencies for their courage and effective cooperation.

Shaibu also commended the local hunters and vigilantes for their contribution to the successful operation.

He urged members of the public to remain vigilant and provide timely and credible information to security agencies.

The COAS said sustained public cooperation remained critical to ongoing efforts to combat kidnapping and other forms of criminality across the country. (NAN)

By David Torough, Abuja

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) says troops of the Armed Forces neutralised 324 terrorists and other criminals, arrested 373 suspects and rescued 610 abducted persons across the country in August.

The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.

Onoja said the Armed Forces also recorded the surrender of 201 insurgents and recovered 88 arms and 2,077 rounds of ammunition during the month.

According to him, the operations were characterised by coordinated land, air and maritime offensives aimed at degrading the capabilities of terrorist and criminal groups, rescuing abducted citizens, disrupting arms trafficking and logistics networks, countering secessionist and other armed criminal elements, and protecting critical national assets.

He said troops recorded notable successes across the country’s geopolitical zones, with the Air Component providing sustained combat support and reconnaissance to ground formations.

In the North-East, troops of Operation HADIN KAI conducted aggressive counter-terrorism operations across Borno, Adamawa, Yobe and Bauchi, neutralising 114 terrorists, arresting 146 suspects and rescuing 60 abducted persons.

Among the major rescue operations, troops on Aug. 1 rescued two women and two children near Amuda Bridge in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State. The victims had reportedly been held since the 2023 farming season.

Troops also rescued 18-year-old Blessing Tugul, who was abducted in November 2025 around Dogobar Kopri in Askira-Uba Local Government Area, as well as five female abductees who escaped from a terrorist enclave in the Mandara Mountains. Other rescues included a 63-year-old Cameroonian national abducted along the Gwoza-Cameroon axis, eight abductees comprising three women and five children, and three minors who escaped from terrorist enclaves around Amuda Bridge.

Onoja said intelligence-led operations also targeted terrorist support networks, resulting in the arrest of suspected logistics suppliers, informants, spies, collaborators and fighters across several communities in Borno and Adamawa.

He said troops neutralised 21 terrorists and destroyed a terrorist camp during a clearance operation at Koprik Mountain in Hong, Adamawa, between Aug. 26 and Aug. 27. The operation also led to the recovery of six AK-47 rifles, 23 magazines and 586 rounds of ammunition.

He added that troops repelled a major terrorist attack on Kukawa on Aug. 28 through coordinated ground and air operations, with subsequent air strikes neutralising 25 terrorists and destroying 10 motorcycles.

The North-West also recorded significant gains, with troops of Operation FANSAN YAMMA conducting counter-terrorism and anti-kidnapping operations across Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara. The operation neutralised 190 terrorists, arrested 47 suspects and rescued 126 abducted persons.

In the North-Central, Operation SAVANNAH SHIELD rescued 329 kidnap victims. A major joint operation in Kainji Lake National Park, Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, on Aug. 5 led to the rescue of 308 abducted persons, including women and children.

Onoja said Operations ENDURING PEACE and WHIRL STROKE in Plateau, Benue, Kogi, Nasarawa and Taraba rescued 15 and 38 victims respectively, while Operation UDO KA in the South-East rescued four civilians.

In the South-South, Operation DELTA SAFE rescued 38 civilians and arrested 43 suspected criminals while sustaining operations against crude oil theft, illegal refining and other forms of economic sabotage.

Onoja said troops destroyed 21 illegal refining sites and recovered 696,800 litres of stolen crude oil and illegally refined petroleum products during the month.

He said troops dismantled three reactivated illegal refining sites in the Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni axis of Rivers State between Aug. 1 and Aug. 2, recovering 61,000 litres of stolen crude and illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil.

Further operations in Rivers and Delta states led to the recovery of 85,300 litres, 105,000 litres and 24,000 litres of petroleum products on Aug. 5, Aug. 6 and Aug. 7 respectively. Troops also intercepted a speedboat carrying 17,000 litres of illegally refined AGO along the Onne-Okrika waterways.

Other operations resulted in the recovery of 85,000 litres of illegally refined AGO in Egbema, 93,000 litres around Allison Community in Bonny and about 103,000 litres around Ohaji. On Aug. 27, troops intercepted two tanker trucks allegedly attempting to siphon crude at Aleto in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Onoja said troops of Operation UDO KA also intercepted vehicles conveying illegally refined petroleum products along the Agwa-Ejemekuru Road in Imo State.

In the air domain, he said the Air Component delivered precision strikes against terrorist concentrations, including an Aug. 6 operation in Mariga Local Government Area of Niger State that neutralised terrorists assembling with about 15 motorcycles.

He said an armed reconnaissance operation on Aug. 9 also disrupted more than 300 motorcycles around the Sangeko and Baba-Doka areas.

Onoja said the overall operational figures represented a marked improvement compared with the previous month. He said the number of bandits and criminals neutralised rose sharply by 217.6 per cent in August after declining by 20.9 per cent in July, while the number of civilians rescued increased by 55.2 per cent in August following a 27.5 per cent decline in July.

He also highlighted a steady increase in terrorist surrenders, from 11 in June to 57 in July and 201 in August, describing the trend as an indication of growing pressure on hostile elements and a possible willingness by some to abandon terrorism.

The Director quoted the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, as commending troops for their gallantry, discipline and resilience across the various theatres of operation.

He said the CDS also appreciated the spontaneous standing ovation given to military personnel by Air Peace staff and passengers while boarding a flight at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

Onoja urged Nigerians to continue providing timely and accurate information to the nearest military formation or through the toll-free line 193, assuring the public that information received would be treated with utmost confidentiality.

He said the Armed Forces would continue to sustain coordinated, intelligence-led and offensive operations in collaboration with other security agencies and stakeholders to protect lives, communities and critical national assets.

Troops of Sector 2, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, said they have repelled a security threat, thwarted the advance of armed terrorists, and recovered arms in Ghandi town, Rabah Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 8 Division, Nigerian Army, Lt.

Osoba said the troops acted on credible intelligence indicating the movement of an armed group toward Ghandi town.

He said the troops were swiftly deployed to strategic positions near Ghandi Bridge to intercept the threat.

“Upon making contact, the troops engaged the terrorists with superior firepower, overpowering the group and forcing them to retreat in disarray,” he said.

Osoba further stated that during the confrontation, several insurgents sustained gunshot wounds and attempted to escape by jumping into the adjacent river.

He added that the efforts of the gallant troops and a search operation conducted at daybreak resulted in the recovery of operational items abandoned by the fleeing bandits.

“The recovered items included one AK-47 rifle, one loaded magazine and additional rounds of ammunition,” he said.

According to him, search and mop-up operations are currently ongoing in the general area to track down the fleeing suspects.(NAN)