The Nigerian Army has said that its troops of Sector 5 under Operation Peace Shield rescued 10 kidnapped victims in Kaduna State after a gun battle with their abductors.
In a statement issued on Friday, the army said the victims were rescued during an early-morning operation on Friday in the Sanga Local Government Area, a region that has faced persistent attacks from bandits and kidnappers over the past decade.
The rescue, according to the statement, followed the abduction of several women from their farms at Ungwan Nungu on November 29.
The attack, carried out in broad daylight, deepened fear among residents of the agrarian community and neighbouring settlements.
The statement noted that military authorities immediately deployed troops to track the kidnappers, launching a days-long search-and-rescue mission across forested routes that connect Kaduna with Plateau and Nasarawa states, an area notorious for bandit activities.
Troops made “decisive contact” with the kidnappers at about 6:40am on Friday while the criminals were attempting to receive ransom payment from relatives of the abducted victims.
A firefight ensued, during which the soldiers overpowered the gang, forcing them to flee into the surrounding bush and abandoning their captives.
The army said all 10 victims, including one adult male, three male children, three elderly women and three female children, were rescued unharmed.
The statement added that the rescued victims were later debriefed, medically examined and reunited with their families, providing relief to a community that had remained on edge since the abduction.
According to the statement, during the operation, troops recovered one fabricated AK-47 rifle, one round of 9mm ammunition and ₦1.6million.
The cash was identified as part of the ransom earlier arranged by distressed relatives before the military intervention disrupted the planned exchange.
Sanga Local Government Area and adjoining areas of Kaduna and neighbouring states have become flashpoints in the north’s security crisis, with farming communities often targeted by armed groups who exploit the difficult terrain to evade security forces.
However, the Nigerian Army reaffirmed its commitment to protect citizens, deny criminals any freedom of action and ensure that communities across the nation can live and work in peace.
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