Thirteen students who were kidnapped in Kaduna State have been rescued by Nigerian soldiers during a counter-terrorism operation. The group, which included six male and seven female students, was freed after a fierce gunfight between the troops and terrorists in Chigbolu village, located in Kachia Local Government Area.
The Nigerian Army announced the successful rescue in a statement on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday. They revealed that the soldiers not only rescued the students but also recovered a cache of dangerous weapons from the terrorists. According to the Army’s post, the operation took place on September 12, 2024, and was part of a larger offensive effort to combat terrorism and insurgency in the region.
The statement read, “In aggressive offensive operations against terrorism and insurgency, Nigerian Army troops have obliterated yet another terrorist stronghold, successfully rescuing kidnapped students, and seizing a significant cache of arms and ammunition. Troops also eliminated some insurgents, while some others were captured alive.”
The operation was launched after soldiers received reliable intelligence about the location of abducted individuals in a terrorist camp. Following an intense firefight in Chigbolu village, the troops overpowered the terrorists, forcing them to abandon their captives and flee.
Weapons and Other Items Recovered
During a thorough search of the area, the soldiers recovered a number of dangerous weapons, including one AK-47 rifle, 87 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, four magazines, and a locally fabricated rifle. They also found N192,220.00 in cash, along with five solar panels, five mobile phones, dry rations, and clothing items.
The rescued students were immediately evacuated to the 1 Division Medical Services and Hospital for medical care, according to the Army.
Additional Success in Counter-Terrorism Operations
In a separate operation within the same local government area, the Army also arrested two notorious terrorist logistics suppliers, identified as Mallam Usman Waikili and Salisu Idris, in Kagarko village. The soldiers recovered N1.3 million, along with multiple SIM cards, mobile phones, national identity cards, ATM cards, two Moniepoint PoS machines, and an MTN MiFi from the suspects.
“The troops confiscated the sum of N1,306,700.00, three SIM cards, two mobile phones, three national identity cards, eight ATM cards, two Moniepoint PoS machines, an MTN MiFi, and other items from the suspects,” the Army said in its statement.
Terrorist Hideout Destroyed in Niger State
In another successful operation in Suleja, Niger State, Nigerian troops raided a terrorist hideout, resulting in a fierce gun battle. The Army reported that three terrorists were killed during the exchange, and another three were captured alive. The captured suspects, identified as Mallam Halalu, Mallam Suleiman, and Mr. Musa, later led the troops to a hidden armoury where more weapons and cash were recovered.
The Army seized three AK-47 rifles, 121 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, and N4,079,000.00 in cash.