Nigeria rescues kidnapped children and sentences abductors in separate kidnapping cases

In Kogi State’s Yagba West LGA, two children identified only as J and B and a shoemaker were abducted on 3 June 2026. After 49 days of captivity and negotiations that lowered the demanded ransom from N200 million to N6 million, the victims were released on 21 July 2026. The Nigerian Army’s 12 Brigade, supported by local vigilantes, had earlier rescued the children’s mother and infant during the initial operation.

In Oriire LGA, three schools were targeted, and survivors were freed after 56 days in captivity on 10 July 2026. Three men – Abdulrazak Umar, Yunusa Musa and Shamsu Adamu Sani – were later sentenced by the Federal High Court in Abuja to life imprisonment for membership in a terrorist group and 25 years for concealing information about the plot. The alleged masterminds remain at large and further trial on additional charges is scheduled for September.