Troops Rescue Nine Kidnapped Victims, Foil Terrorist Attacks in Niger
Troops of the Nigerian Army’s 18 Brigade have rescued nine kidnapped victims and foiled attempted terrorist attacks in separate operations across Mariga and Rijau Local Government Areas of Niger State.
The operations, conducted as part of intensified offensive operations against terrorists and other criminal elements within the Brigade’s Area of Responsibility, also led to the recovery of firearms, motorcycles and suspected rustled livestock.
The Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 18 Brigade, Captain Adebayo Samuel Adewumi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday.
According to him, troops of the Nigerian Army Training Centre (NATRAC) Admin Battalion, deployed at Kotonkoro, rescued the nine kidnapped victims on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, during sustained offensive operations against terrorist elements in Mariga LGA.
He said the rescued victims were subsequently handed over to representatives of the Mariga Local Government authorities for documentation and onward reunification with their families.
In another operation carried out the same day, troops conducting a fighting patrol in the Warari general area of Rijau LGA encountered and successfully cleared a terrorist ambush.
A subsequent exploitation of the area resulted in the recovery of seven motorcycles, one camel, 47 cattle and 18 sheep, which were suspected to have been rustled from surrounding communities.
The recovered livestock were handed over to the appropriate authorities, the statement added.
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Similarly, on Monday, August 10, troops of the Brigade’s Quick Response Force, in collaboration with personnel of the 311 Artillery Regiment and the Chief of Army Staff Special Intervention Battalion X, foiled an attempted terrorist attack and infiltration of Inana Village and surrounding communities in the Majal and Tunga Bisallah areas of Rijau LGA.
Captain Adewumi said the troops, acting on credible intelligence and maintaining an effective presence in the area, intercepted the terrorists as they attempted to infiltrate the communities.
He explained that the terrorists, who were mounted on motorcycles, fled towards a nearby forest after sighting the troops.
The troops engaged the fleeing terrorists, forcing them to abandon their equipment and motorcycles, while some of the attackers were believed to have sustained gunshot wounds.
During the subsequent exploitation of the area, the troops recovered an AK-47 rifle, an empty magazine and ammunition of different calibres.
One motorcycle was also recovered, while six other motorcycles were destroyed on the spot.
The Commander, 18 Brigade, commended the troops for their courage, resilience and professionalism, urging them to sustain the operational tempo, remain vigilant and intensify efforts to degrade and dismantle terrorist and criminal elements operating across the state.
The Brigade Commander also directed the troops to continue leveraging credible intelligence from local communities to disrupt criminal activities and deny terrorists freedom of action.
He said the successes recorded by the Brigade reflected the commitment of the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shuaibu, to dominating the battlespace, intensifying offensive operations and degrading terrorism and other criminal activities across the country.
The Commander urged the troops to pursue and eliminate criminal elements within the Brigade’s Area of Responsibility to protect vulnerable communities and safeguard lives and property.
By PRNigeria
