Troops of the Joint Task Force Northwest Operation Hadarin Daji Thursday rescued 17 kidnapped victims and recovered large numbers of rustled cattle in the ongoing operation in Zamfara state.
Force Information Officer, Operation Hadarin Daji, Captain Yahaya Ibrahim, in a statement issued Friday said, the troops also rescued 2 victims and the commercial vehicle carrying food stuff along corner Jollof in Shinkafi LGA of Zamfara state.
According to him, These were achieved recently, on 14 September 2023, the Joint troops of Operation HADARIN DAJI (OPHD) in Zamfara state while acting on a distress call thwarted kidnap attempt, rescued 2 victims and the commercial vehicle carrying food stuff along corner Jollof in Shinkafi LGA of Zamfara state.
Ibrahim added that ground troops deployed at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Danjigba while on a routine patrol intercepted and rescued three kidnapped victims.
He explained that a preliminary investigation revealed that the victims were abducted from their farmlands and held captive at Dangajeru forest where they successfully escaped due to the intensified clearance operation by troops within the area.
Ibrahim stressed that on 13 September 2023, troops of Operation Hadarin Daji in Zamfara state intercepted and rescued 8 kidnapped victims at Baggega.
He said preliminary investigation revealed that the victims had been in captivity for 8 weeks and were able to escape from Gando forest due to the recent offensive operation and constant fighting patrol along the fringes of the forest.
Ibrahim noted: “Similarly, on 12 September 2023, acting on Intelligence reports on movement of large numbers of rustled animals by Bandits around Tsamiyar Gezozi in Anka LGA of Zamfara state. Troops of Operation Hadarin Daji (OPHD) deployed at Anka swung into action to the crossing route and engaged the bandits with superior fire which forced the Bandits to flee and abandoned over 130 rustled animals.
“The recovered animals were handed over to the appropriate authority on recovered rustled animals to deliver to the rightful owners.
“Relatedly, on 11 September 2023, following a distress call on kidnapping of persons by armed bandits at Bunkasau village in Bukkuyum LGA of Zamfara state. Troops swiftly mobilized to the village with fire power superiority forced the bandits to abandon the victims and fled in disarray. Consequently, 4 male victims were rescued unhurt.”
Ibrahim stressed that all rescued kidnapped victims were successfully reunited with their families while the recovered cattle were handed over to the Zamfara state committee on recovered cattle to enable handling them to the rightful owners.
He said It is worthy to note that within the week covering from 11 – 15 September 2023, a total of two foiled kidnapping attempts, 17 rescued victims and 130 cattle were recovered by the troops of OPHD in Zamfara state.