Troops rescue two Kwara kidnap victims

Troops of the Nigerian Army under the Joint Task Force North Central, Operation SAVANNAH SHIELD, have rescued two kidnap victims during a clearance operation in Kwara State.

The rescued victims were identified as 42-year-old Temitope Samuel and 40-year-old Mohammed Sani.

The rescue was carried out along the Gidan Dogo Ekaa axis, as part of ongoing military operations aimed at flushing out criminal elements operating in the North-Central region.

This was disclosed in a statement posted on the Army’s official X handle on Saturday.

According to the statement, troops deployed at Patrol Base Babasango secured the victims after they escaped from their abductors.

The Army explained that the operation took place on June 3 during an aggressive fighting patrol to Gidan Dogo Ekaa.

“In a decisive demonstration of operational prowess, troops of the Joint Task Force North Central, Operation SAVANNAH SHIELD, deployed at Patrol Base Babasango, successfully rescued two civilians from the clutches of kidnappers in Kwara State.

“During the patrol, troops encountered and secured the victims who had courageously escaped from their captors,” the statement said.

Military authorities said both men were immediately placed under protective custody and taken to Patrol Base Babanla, where they are receiving medical attention, psychological support and other forms of assistance.

“The rescued individuals have been transferred to Patrol Base Babanla, where they are receiving comprehensive medical care, psychological support and all necessary assistance,” the Army added.

The military said arrangements were ongoing to reunite the victims with their families.

It also reaffirmed its commitment to sustained intelligence-driven operations against kidnappers, bandits and other criminal groups threatening communities across the region.

The Army urged members of the public to continue supporting security agencies by providing credible and timely information capable of aiding ongoing operations.

Operation SAVANNAH SHIELD is one of the military’s security initiatives aimed at combating kidnapping, banditry and other violent crimes across parts of the North-Central zone.(Punch)