Nigeria: Troops arrest three terrorist couriers, rescue 14 kidnap victims in Katsina

Nigerian North-West, Operation Fansan Yamma, have arrested three suspected terrorist logistics couriers and rescued 14 kidnapped victims during separate operations in Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State.

The operations also resulted in the recovery of an AK-47 rifle, 30 rounds of ammunition, a motorcycle, three mobile phones and N2.7m suspected to be ransom.

The Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force North-West, Lt. Col. Aliyu Danja, disclosed this in a statement.

Danja said troops of Sector 2 intercepted three suspects travelling on a motorcycle in Faskari on September 24.

He said preliminary interrogation indicated that the suspects were allegedly transporting N2.7m suspected to be ransom to a terrorist kingpin through intermediaries in the area.

The three suspects and recovered items were subsequently taken into military custody for further investigation.

In a separate operation on September 25, troops acted on intelligence about the movement of terrorists in the area and established an ambush.

The troops engaged the terrorists, forcing them to flee, after which they searched the area and recovered an AK-47 rifle, 30 rounds of ammunition.

Also on September 25, troops on routine patrol rescued 14 kidnapped victims in Faskari.

The victims comprised 12 males and two females who were reportedly abducted from Anguwan Miko and Tafoki villages in the local government area.

According to the military, the abductors abandoned the victims after sighting the advancing troops.

The rescued persons were handed over to the Faskari Local Government authorities for further necessary action.

The Theatre Command said the operations formed part of ongoing efforts to disrupt terrorist and criminal activities across the North-West.

It said the latest successes demonstrated the commitment of Operation Fansan Yamma to protecting residents, rescuing people held in captivity and restricting the activities of terrorists and other criminal groups within its area of operations.

The command also urged residents to continue providing security agencies with timely and credible information on suspicious movements and activities in their communities.