Troops crush Boko Haram terrorists, rescue 3 kidnap victims in Adamawa

Troops of the Nigerian Army under Operation Hadin Kai have neutralised two suspected Boko Haram/Islamic State West Africa Province, ISWAP, terrorists, rescued three kidnapped civilians and recovered arms, ammunition and locally fabricated explosives in separate operations in Adamawa State.

The operations, conducted by troops of Sector 4, Joint Task Force (North East), also led to the recovery of two AK-47 rifles, 115 rounds of ammunition, explosive devices and vehicles belonging to residents.

The Acting Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force, Captain Mohammed Goni, disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday in Maiduguri.

Mr Goni said troops on November 8 repelled an attempted terrorist attack at Zangula Kilba Junction in Gombi Local Government Area of Adamawa State.

He said the troops overwhelmed the attackers during the encounter, neutralising two terrorists and forcing others to retreat.

Following the clash, the soldiers recovered two AK-47 rifles, four magazines, 115 rounds of ammunition, three belts of empty ammunition links and two cases of locally fabricated explosive devices.

Other items recovered included a pair of desert boots, a backpack, an Android phone, a wristwatch and N15,000.

The military spokesman said troops had commenced exploitation operations to track down the fleeing terrorists and prevent them from regrouping.

In a separate operation on November 9, troops rescued three civilians abducted by suspected kidnappers in Mubi South Local Government Area of the state.

Goni said the operation followed a distress call from farmers around Dutse-Uku after suspected kidnappers abducted a woman, identified as Mrs Happiness Dama Dauda, while working on her farm.

The attackers reportedly also took away her motorcycle.

He said troops deployed in Mubi, working in collaboration with local hunters, immediately mobilised to the area and mounted pressure on the kidnappers, forcing them to abandon their victim and flee.

According to him, sustained pursuit operations subsequently led to the rescue of two other residents suspected to have been abducted earlier, bringing the number of rescued victims to three.

The troops also recovered a motorcycle, a tricycle conveying 15 bags of beans and a Hi-Jet pickup carrying 13 bags of groundnuts belonging to other farmers who narrowly escaped the kidnappers.

The military said the recovered items were identified by the respective village heads and subsequently handed over to their owners.

Goni said troops had intensified patrols and surveillance across the area to prevent further attacks and deny terrorists and other criminal elements freedom of movement.

He said the operations demonstrated the Nigerian Army’s determination to dismantle terrorist networks and protect civilians from attacks and abductions.

The military also stressed the importance of timely intelligence sharing and collaboration between security agencies and local communities in tackling terrorism and other security threats.

It said Operation Hadin Kai would sustain pressure on terrorist groups and their collaborators to prevent them from threatening the security and livelihoods of residents across the North-East.