The Nigerian Army said on Friday that its troops of 223 Battalion, operating under Sector 1 of Joint Task Force, North West Operation Hadarin Daji, in a rescue operation conducted in the early hours, rescued 24 kidnap victims after a shootout with bandits.
The victims, including a child and others, regained their freedom after the fire-fight with notorious bandits at Kabugu Lamba; an abandoned village in Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara state, North West Nigeria.
According to the Director of Army Public Relations, Brig Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu said, ‘The gallant troops led by the Commanding Officer of the Battalion, stalked and swooped on the bandits, annihilating 4 of them in a ferocious fire fight that ensued.
“The victims, including a minor, 9 females and 14 males have been extricated and evacuated from the kidnappers’ hideout by the troops.”
INOFRMATION NIGERIA reports that the rescue operation comes barely a week after the troops rescued 20 kidnap victims in Shinkafi LGA of Zamfara State, while on a routine patrol in the general area.
READ MORE: Zamfara Police Rescue Nine Kidnap Victims, 85 Still In Captivity
During preliminary investigation, the victims revealed that they had spent 21 to 53 days, individually, at the hands of their captors while other victims revealed that they were released from the camp of a notorious bandit kingpin, Bello Turji, due to pressure from the air bombardment and operations of ground troops.
The victims, who disclosed that they were fed two times a day with food cooked by the bandits’ wives, also revealed that there were over 20 bandit camps in the forest where they were kept.
