Thirty-five kidnapped victims, including women and children, have been rescued from Boko Haram captivity.
Police intercepted the captors during joint security operations across Niger, Kebbi, and Taraba States.
The Niger State Police Command, in a joint operation with other security forces, has successfully rescued 35 kidnapped individuals, including women and children, from the captivity of suspected Boko Haram insurgents. The victims were said to have been held hostage for more than a year before their eventual rescue and return to their families.
According to the police, the victims had been abducted from different communities across Niger and Taraba States, including Pandogari, Madaka, Allawa, Sarkin-Pawa, and other rural settlements. The captors had been relocating the victims, moving them toward Yauri in Kebbi State when the police intercepted them during a tactical operation.
A statement issued by the Niger State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, on Monday confirmed that the victims were rescued in a series of security operations conducted between July 3 and July 5, 2025. Abiodun revealed that intelligence reports had earlier indicated that several armed bandits were fleeing the Birnin-Gwari forest in Kaduna State due to intense clearance operations being carried out by security forces in the area.
As a result, police tactical teams were deployed to monitor likely escape routes. During one of the operations along the Madaka-Makujeri road, officers intercepted a vehicle transporting a number of victims. The driver of the vehicle, identified as Yusuf Abdullahi from Birnin-Gwari, was arrested on the spot. He was reportedly en route to Tegina, where the victims were to be transferred into another vehicle that would continue the journey to Yauri to hand them over to other members of the terrorist group.
Further operations led to another significant breakthrough on July 4, when a second group of victims comprising five women and six children was rescued in Agwara while attempting to cross a river into Kebbi State. The Divisional Police Officer in Agwara took custody of the victims and facilitated their safe transfer to the state capital. During the operation, police officers recovered two loaded magazines and 60 rounds of live ammunition.
The victims were taken to a medical facility where they received care and were later reunited with their families. The police stated that the individuals had been subjected to harsh conditions during their time in captivity, and several of them required urgent medical attention.
The police have since transferred the case to the State Police Headquarters in Minna for a detailed investigation. Efforts are ongoing to track down the remaining insurgents and ensure the release of other victims still in captivity.
Commissioner of Police, Adamu Elleman, praised the commitment of the joint security teams who took part in the successful operations. He urged residents of the state to remain vigilant and continue supporting law enforcement agencies by providing credible and timely information.
“We appreciate the cooperation of the public and ask that they remain proactive in reporting any suspicious activities. Our work continues, and with the support of the people, we are confident that more victims will be rescued, and justice will be served,” Elleman stated.
He assured the public that the police would not relent in their efforts to rid the state of criminal elements and restore peace to affected communities.
