Nigerian Army troops have rescued nine kidnapped victims during a night patrol along the Kogi–Kwara border.
The victims were freed after bandits fled amid intensified military clearance operations in the area.
Troops of the Nigerian Army’s 2 Division, operating under Sector 3 of Operation FANSAN YAMMA, have rescued nine kidnapped victims during a coordinated night patrol along the Kogi–Kwara border.
The Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations for the division, Colonel Polycarp Okoye, confirmed the development in a statement on Tuesday, October 14, 2025.
According to the statement, the victims, made up of four men and five women, were abducted from their community in Matoku, Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State, on September 24, 2025.
Okoye noted that the rescue took place during a night patrol along Egbe–Okuran in Kogi State and Okoloke through Patigi in Kwara State. Troops intercepted the victims at Essalu community in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State.
He revealed that the victims told investigators that their abductors raided Matoku village about three weeks earlier, taking several people hostage and rustling an undisclosed number of cattle. The bandits reportedly abandoned the captives after becoming unsettled by the army’s ongoing clearance operations in the region.
The rescued individuals were identified as Abdullahi Umar (35), Alhaji Umaru Sarki Fawa (55), Labaran Abubakar (45), and Umar Yanda (30), alongside female victims Hassana Muhammad (25), Maryam Muhammad (27), Aisha Idris (20), and Zainab Ahmed (12).
The statement added that the victims received medical attention and food supplies before being handed over to the Patigi Local Government authorities to reunite with their families.
Major General C. R. Nnebeife, General Officer Commanding (GOC) 2 Division and Commander of Sector 3, commended the troops for their efficiency and collaboration, urging them to sustain the tempo. He further called on residents to provide timely intelligence that could assist security forces in combating crime and ensuring the safety of lives and property.
