Twenty-one people held by kidnappers in Niger State are back in safe hands, according to the Nigerian Army, which says soldiers of its 18 Brigade freed them after a gun battle in Mariga Local Government Area.
The account comes from a statement released on Tuesday by Captain Adebayo Samuel Adewumi, who is acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations for 18 Brigade. Daily Post Nigeria carried the statement.
Tip-off, deployment and a firefight
According to the Army spokesman, the operation began with intelligence the military described as credible, pointing to terrorist activity in two villages, Abaha and Sabon Wuri, both in Mariga LGA. Soldiers were then quickly moved into the area with the aim of cutting off the gunmen.
The statement says that once the troops made contact, a heavy exchange of fire broke out. The Army claims its men got the upper hand, and that the attackers ran off in confusion into surrounding bushland, some of them believed to be carrying bullet wounds. Casualty figures for the gunmen were not given, and the claim of injuries among them has not been independently confirmed.
Victims unhurt, handed over for reunion with families
All 21 captives came out of the operation without injury, the Army said. They reportedly received first aid and went through initial profiling before being passed on to the relevant authorities, who are expected to reunite them with their families. The identities of the victims, how long they had been held and when exactly they were abducted were not disclosed.
The military also signalled that the hunt is not over. "Troops have intensified efforts through aggressive patrols and ambush operations to apprehend the fleeing terrorists," the statement added.
Residents asked to watch out for wounded strangers
The Commander of 18 Brigade, who was not named in the report, appealed to the public, especially people living in Mariga and neighbouring local government areas, to quickly alert the closest security agency if they spot anyone with gunshot wounds or notice any suspicious movement, so that action can be taken.
Part of wider rescue figures
P.M. News, reporting on military operations across several states, put the total number of kidnap victims rescued at 30 in Niger, Plateau and Bauchi. Its report likewise said troops freed 21 victims in the Sabon Wuri and Abaha communities of Mariga LGA, matching the Army's figure for Niger State. Details of the Plateau and Bauchi rescues were not included in the material available.
Mariga is one of the Niger State local government areas where communities have repeatedly been targeted by armed groups, and the Army's appeal to residents underlines how much security forces are relying on local information to track down attackers who escape into the bush.
