Troops Rescue 25 Kidnapped Victims After Three Weeks in Terrorist Captivity

Troops of Joint Task Force North West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, have rescued 25 kidnapped victims during separate operations in Katsina and Zamfara states.

The victims were rescued on Thursday, September 3, 2026, as troops intensified offensive operations against terrorists and criminal elements across the Joint Operations Area.

In Zamfara State, troops of Sector 2 rescued 23 abducted civilians, including three men and 20 women, during a fighting patrol on the outskirts of Wuya Town in Anka Local Government Area.

A preliminary debriefing revealed that the victims were abducted from Gummi Local Government Area and had spent approximately three weeks in terrorist captivity.

The rescued civilians were subsequently evacuated for medical attention and further debriefing, according to a statement issued on Friday by the Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force, Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Danja.

In a separate operation in Katsina State, troops of Sector 1 rescued two kidnapped victims after engaging terrorists during a night patrol along Kwanar Kura in Sabuwa Local Government Area.

The troops reportedly made contact with the terrorists and engaged them with superior firepower, forcing the attackers to flee into surrounding bushes.

The soldiers pursued the fleeing terrorists along their escape routes and subsequently located and rescued the two victims, who had earlier been abducted along the Dandume–Damari Road.

Two motorcycles belonging to the terrorists were also recovered during the operation.

The latest operations underscore the military’s continued focus on rescuing kidnapped civilians while disrupting terrorist movements and operations across the North-West.

The Joint Task Force said the successful operations demonstrated the determination and responsiveness of troops deployed under Operation FANSAN YAMMA to protect lives and deny terrorists freedom of action.

The military said its troops remained committed to sustaining offensive operations against terrorists and rescuing citizens held in captivity across the Joint Operations Area.