Nigerian security forces rescue hundreds of kidnapping victims

Nigerian security forces have conducted several major operations resulting in the rescue of hundreds of kidnapping victims across multiple states.

In a large-scale, intelligence-driven operation, the National Counter-Terrorism Centre, in coordination with the Armed Forces, Department of State Services, and the Nigeria Police Force, rescued 308 individuals from the Kainji Lake National Park forest in Niger State. These victims included 163 people from the Woro community in Kwara State and 145 from Niger State. President Bola Tinubu commended the inter-agency collaboration and called for strengthened early warning mechanisms and community intelligence.

In separate operations, the Nigerian Army's 21 Battalion rescued 13 victims abducted along the Alloma-Ejule Road in Kogi State. During another incident in Kogi, troops rescued a pregnant woman who had been abandoned by kidnappers. In Plateau State, troops responded to a kidnapping in Bokkos Local Government Area, where one victim was found with gunshot wounds and evacuated for medical treatment. Additionally, security forces in Zamfara arrested a suspect linked to an arms and explosives dealer following the seizure of 180 units of explosives.