Katsina: Troops Rescue 14 Kidnap Victims, Arrest Three Terrorist Couriers With N2.7m

Katsina: Troops Rescue 14 Kidnap Victims, Arrest Three Terrorist Couriers With N2.7m

Troops of the Joint Task Force North-West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, have rescued 14 kidnapped victims and arrested three suspected terrorist logistics couriers during separate operations in Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State.

The operations, conducted on September 24 and 25, also led to the recovery of an AK-47 rifle, 30 rounds of ammunition, a motorcycle, three mobile phones and N2.7 million suspected to be ransom money.

The Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force North-West, Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Danja, disclosed the operations in a statement.

Danja said troops of Sector 2 intercepted the three suspected logistics couriers on September 24 while they were travelling on a motorcycle within Faskari.

According to the military, preliminary interrogation indicated that the suspects were allegedly transporting N2.7 million suspected to be ransom money, alongside three mobile phones, for onward delivery to a suspected terrorist kingpin through intermediaries.

The suspects and the recovered items were taken into custody for further investigation.

In a separate operation on September 25, troops acted on intelligence about the movement of suspected terrorists in Faskari and established an ambush.

The troops engaged the suspected terrorists, who reportedly fled into the surrounding area. A subsequent search resulted in the recovery of an AK-47 rifle, 30 rounds of ammunition and a motorcycle.

Later the same day, troops conducting a routine patrol rescued 14 kidnapped victims in the local government area.

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The rescued persons comprised 12 males and two females and were reportedly among civilians abducted from Anguwan Miko and Tafoki communities in Faskari.

The military said the victims were abandoned by their captors after the terrorists sighted the advancing troops.

The rescued victims were subsequently handed over to the Faskari Local Government authorities for further necessary action.

The Katsina operations formed part of a wider Operation FANSAN YAMMA offensive conducted across Katsina and Kaduna states between September 23 and 25.

In Kaduna State, troops of Sector 1 acted on intelligence about suspected terrorists moving through bushes around Rijana in Kachia Local Government Area on September 23.

The troops reportedly laid an ambush and engaged the suspected terrorists, forcing them to flee. A subsequent search led to the recovery of another AK-47 rifle, a magazine containing 13 rounds of ammunition, a magazine carrier and a military jungle hat.

In another operation at Awom village in Kachia, troops arrested a suspect identified by the military as Jacob. He was allegedly found with a locally fabricated pistol and seven rounds of ammunition.

The Kaduna arrest brought the total number of suspects arrested during the wider three-day operation to four, including the three suspected logistics couriers apprehended in Katsina.

The latest operation is part of continuing military efforts to disrupt kidnapping and terrorist networks in the North-West.

Earlier in September, troops under Operation FANSAN YAMMA rescued 31 kidnapped victims during separate operations in Katsina and Kebbi states. The operations also resulted in the reported neutralisation of two suspected terrorists and the arrest of two others.

In one of those operations, 10 victims, including an infant, were rescued in Katsina after troops responded to reports of abductions from Unguwan Daudu and Unguwan Chibauna communities in Funtua Local Government Area. Another 21 victims were rescued in Kebbi State.

The Joint Task Force has continued to urge residents to remain vigilant and provide security agencies with credible information about suspicious movements and activities.

The latest Faskari operations underline the continued focus of Operation FANSAN YAMMA on rescuing people held in captivity, disrupting terrorist logistics and restricting the movement of armed groups operating across the North-West.

Katsina: Troops Rescue 14 Kidnap Victims, Arrest Three Terrorist Couriers With N2.7m