A one-year-old. His mother. A third victim. All three are now safe after troops moved fast in a Kaduna forest.
Nigerian Army troops rescued three kidnap victims, including a one-year-old child, during operations in Kaduna State on June 18, while separately foiling a planned terrorist attack in the early hours of June 20. The military confirmed both operations in a statement, describing sustained efforts across Kaduna and Zamfara States to restore peace and security in Nigeria’s Northwest region.
The Kaduna Rescue Operation
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Troops of Sector 1 responded on June 18 to a distress call reporting the movement of armed bandits within a forest area in Kerawa, Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The troops swiftly combed the area and rescued three kidnap victims, identified as Mrs Bilkisu Hayatu, 38, Mrs Habibah Sadisu, 30, and Abdulmutallib Sadisu, a one-year-old infant.
The victims had reportedly been abandoned by the fleeing criminals after they sighted the advancing troops. Preliminary investigations revealed that the three had been abducted from Kajenjere Tami Village in Birnin Yero on May 17, 2026, and were being relocated to a terrorist hideout in Birnin Gwari before troops intervened. All three were evacuated to a Primary Healthcare Clinic in Kadage for medical attention.
A Foiled Attack Just Two Days Later
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In a separate operation conducted in the early hours of June 20, troops of Sector 2, working alongside other security agencies, foiled a planned terrorist attack on Gamdanda Village before the attackers could carry out their plans. Acting on credible intelligence, the combined security response prevented what could have been another devastating community attack.
Furthermore, these two operations, occurring within just two days of each other, demonstrate the kind of sustained intelligence led pressure that Nigerian security forces have applied across the Northwest in recent weeks.
A Pattern of Sustained Pressure
These operations follow closely behind other recent successes, including troops overrunning a bandit camp in Kogi State and rescuing two additional victims earlier the same week. Together, the operations across Kaduna, Zamfara, and Kogi reflect a coordinated military push spanning multiple states simultaneously.
The Nigerian Army reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining ongoing operations aimed at restoring peace and security across the North West region. For one year old Abdulmutallib Sadisu and his mother, rescued just in time before being moved deeper into captivity, that commitment arrived exactly when it mattered most.
