Troops Rescue Nine Kidnap Victims, Foil Terrorist Attacks in Niger

By Zainab Uzomah

Troops of the Nigerian Army’s 18 Brigade have rescued nine kidnapped victims and foiled attempted terrorist attacks in separate operations across Mariga and Rijau Local Government Areas of Niger State.

According to a statement signed by the Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Headquarters 18 Brigade, Capt. Adebayo Samuel Adewumi, on Friday, the operations conducted between Monday and Wednesday also led to the recovery of weapons, motorcycles and suspected rustled livestock.

The statement said troops of the Nigerian Army Training Centre (NATRAC) Admin Battalion, deployed at Kotonkoro, rescued nine kidnapped victims on Wednesday, August 12, during sustained offensive operations against terrorists in Mariga LGA. The victims were subsequently handed over to representatives of the Mariga Local Government for documentation and onward reunification with their families.

In a separate operation the same day, troops conducting a fighting patrol in the Warari general area of Rijau LGA encountered and cleared a terrorist ambush. During the exploitation of the area, the troops recovered seven motorcycles, one camel, 47 cattle and 18 sheep suspected to have been rustled from local communities.

The recovered livestock were handed over to the appropriate authorities.The statement further said that on Monday, August 10, troops of the Brigade’s Quick Response Force, in conjunction with personnel of the 311 Artillery Regiment and Chief of Army Staff Special Intervention Battalion X, foiled an attempted terrorist attack and infiltration of communities around Inana Village, Majal and Tunga Bisallah in Rijau LGA.

Acting on credible intelligence, the troops intercepted the terrorists as they attempted to infiltrate the communities.The terrorists, who were reportedly mounted on motorcycles, fled towards a nearby forest after sighting the troops. The troops engaged them, forcing them to abandon their equipment and motorcycles, while some of the fleeing terrorists were believed to have sustained gunshot wounds.

A subsequent search of the area led to the recovery of an AK-47 rifle, an empty magazine, ammunition of different calibres and one motorcycle.Six other motorcycles were destroyed on the spot.

The Commander, 18 Brigade, commended the troops for their courage, resilience and professionalism, urging them to sustain the operational tempo, remain vigilant and intensify efforts to degrade and dismantle terrorist and criminal elements operating in the state. He also charged the troops to continue leveraging credible information from local communities to disrupt criminal activities and deny terrorists freedom of action.

The commander said the successes recorded reflected the commitment of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Waidi Shuaibu, to dominate the battlespace, intensify offensive operations and degrade terrorism and other criminal activities.He urged the troops to pursue criminal elements within the Brigade’s area of responsibility and safeguard vulnerable communities as well as lives and property

Nigerian Army