Troops of Operation Fansan Yamma rescued 27 people kidnapped by terrorists in Katsina State after a gun battle in the Sabuwa Local Government Area, the military said Tuesday.
Lt. Col. Aliyu Danja, media information officer for the Joint Task Force North West, said the victims, 15 men and 12 women, were taken from Gamji community. Troops moved in after a distress call on Oct. 16 reported terrorist activity there.
Danja said soldiers pursued the attackers along the Gangare-Kamba axis and engaged them with superior firepower. The gunmen abandoned their captives and fled in disarray, he said. Troops then searched the area and found all 27 victims unharmed.
The rescued Katsina abductees were profiled and handed over to community leaders so they could return to their families, the statement said.
In a separate operation the same day, troops on a fighting patrol near Kurba village in the Kankara Local Government Area encountered terrorists riding three motorcycles. The attackers fled when they saw the soldiers and left one motorcycle behind, Danja said.
Danja said the operations reflect the task force’s continued push against terrorist groups, aimed at limiting their movement and protecting vulnerable communities. The theater commander also assured residents of Katsina, Zamfara and neighboring states that the military remains committed to restoring lasting peace.
Kidnapping for ransom remains a persistent threat across Katsina State, where armed groups often raid villages at night, seize residents and move them into forested areas. Sabuwa is among the council areas where Gov. Dikko Radda deployed members of the state’s Community Watch Corps, a 1,500-member outfit launched in October 2023 to complement security agencies in communities with high levels of insecurity.
Similar rescues have been reported before. In November 2025, troops rescued seven people kidnapped from Yankamaye Cikin Gari village in Tsanyawa Local Government Area, though the attackers killed a 60-year-old woman during the raid. The Army said at the time it was tracking the attackers toward Kankia Local Government Area. In April 2024, police said they rescued 28 of 30 children abducted from Kasai community in Batsari Local Government Area.
The statement, as reported, did not say how many attackers were involved, whether any were killed or arrested, or which group was responsible.
The military announced the rescue Tuesday, four days after the distress call. The abduction adds to a long list of mass kidnappings in Nigeria’s northwest, where troops have run operations against armed groups for years. Residents in Katsina, Zamfara and nearby states continue to face the threat, and community members have repeatedly asked authorities to strengthen security in vulnerable villages. Authorities have not said whether more operations are planned in the Gamji area.
