In a series of coordinated tactical counter-insurgency and anti-banditry operations conducted over a 24-hour period, troops of the Nigerian Army have successfully rescued 46 kidnapped victims and neutralised a suspected militia operative in separate locations across the country.
The nationwide operations, carried out between September 29 and September 30, 2026, targeted terrorist enclaves and criminal hideouts across key hotbeds in northern and central Nigeria.
According to official statements released by Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, and Director of Army Public Relations, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, the operations were executed following actionable intelligence regarding active hostage-taking and criminal movement.
In the early hours of September 30, troops deployed under Operation Hadarin Daji in the Northwest conducted a raid on a known bandit hideout in the dense forest corridors bordering Katsina and Zamfara States.
Following an intense gun duel, security forces overran the camp, leading to the successful rescue of dozens of victims who had been held in captivity under brutal conditions. Simultaneously, in the North-Central region under Operation Safe Haven, troops engaged an armed militia unit along the Plateau-Benue border region, on September 30.
One suspected militia fighter was neutralised during the exchange of fire, while several others fled with gunshot wounds. Search operations in the surrounding bushland yielded recovered arms, ammunition, and communication equipment.
The 46 rescued individuals, comprising men, women, and children were immediately evacuated to military medical facilities for health evaluation and stabilization before being reunited with their families and relevant state authorities.
”Our troops remain resolute and unyielding in their commitment to dismantling criminal networks and safeguarding the lives and property of citizens across all theaters of operation,” stated Major General Edward Buba during a media briefing at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja.
The Military High Command has urged members of the public to continue providing timely and credible intelligence to local security formations as clearance operations intensify nationwide.
