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 were carried out as the Army intensified offensive activities against terrorists and other criminal elements operating within the brigade’s area of responsibility. The development was disclosed by the Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Captain Adebayo Adewumi, in a statement issued on Friday.
According to the statement, troops of the Nigerian Army Training Centre Admin Battalion, deployed at Kotonkoro, rescued the nine victims on Wednesday, August 12, during sustained operations in Mariga Local Government Area.
Following their rescue, the victims were handed over to representatives of the Mariga Local Government authorities for documentation and eventual reunification with their families.
In a separate operation the same day, troops conducting a fighting patrol around Warari in Rijau Local Government Area encountered a terrorist ambush. The soldiers successfully cleared the ambush and subsequently searched the surrounding area.
The operation led to the recovery of seven motorcycles, one camel, 47 cattle and 18 sheep, which the Army said were suspected to have been rustled from surrounding communities. The recovered livestock were handed over to the appropriate authorities.
The Army also reported that on August 10, troops from the Brigade’s Quick Response Force, working alongside personnel of the 311 Artillery Regiment and the Chief of Army Staff Special Intervention Battalion X, foiled an attempted terrorist attack and infiltration of communities around Inana Village, Majal and Tunga Bisallah in Rijau.
The troops reportedly acted on credible intelligence and intercepted the terrorists as they attempted to enter the communities. The attackers, who were travelling on motorcycles, reportedly fled towards a nearby forest after sighting the soldiers.
The troops engaged the fleeing suspects, forcing them to abandon their equipment and motorcycles. Some of the terrorists were believed to have sustained gunshot wounds during the encounter, according to the Army.
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