Troops rescue 48 kidnap victims in Zamfara

Troops of Joint Task Force North West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA have rescued 48 kidnap victims following a swift response to a terrorist attack on Magami village, Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State, in the early hours of Sunday, 26 July 2026.

This is contained in a statement by the Media Information Officer

Joint Task Force (North West) Operation FANSAN YAMMA, Lt-Col Aliyu Danja, on Sunday.

Danja said the operation was launched after troops of Sector 2 received a distress call indicating that a large group of terrorists, riding about 40 motorcycles, had invaded the community.

According to him, the terrorists rounded up numerous residents with the intention of taking them into the bush, while another group remained at the outskirts of the village with the motorcycles.

He added that on arrival at the scene, the troops immediately engaged the terrorists in a fierce firefight, forcing them to abandon the kidnapped victims and flee into the surrounding bush, noting that the prompt intervention led to the successful rescue of all 48 abducted civilians.

“Regrettably, one civilian lost his life during the attack, while two others sustained gunshot wounds and were evacuated to the General Hospital, Kaura Namoda, where they are currently receiving medical treatment.

“Following the rescue operation, troops conducted aggressive patrols to dominate the general area and forestall any further attack.

“The Theatre Command commends the gallantry and professionalism of the troops for this successful operation and reassures residents of the North West of its unwavering commitment to protecting lives and property.

“The public is enjoined to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies to sustain the momentum in ridding the North West of terrorist elements,” the statement said.