Zamfara – Nigerian troops have rescued 62 hostages and killed two militants during separate military operations in the northwestern states of Kebbi and Zamfara, as security forces continue an offensive against armed groups blamed for widespread kidnappings, the army said on Wednesday.
The operations were carried out earlier this week in areas that have experienced a sharp rise in mass abductions, with armed gangs operating from forest hideouts and targeting villages, schools and places of worship. One of the recent incidents in the wider region was the January 18 abduction of more than 160 worshippers from two churches in Kaduna State.
Army spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Olaniyi Osoba said troops stormed a known bandit hideout in Zamfara State after receiving intelligence reports that captives were being held there. According to the army, all 62 hostages were freed during the operation and placed in safe custody, with arrangements underway to reunite them with their families.
In a separate mission, troops ambushed Lakurawa militants near the border between Kebbi State’s Augie district and neighbouring Sokoto State after receiving intelligence on the group’s movements, Osoba said. Two militants were killed during the encounter.
The renewed violence in northwestern Nigeria has drawn international attention. United States President Donald Trump has accused Nigeria of failing to protect Christians from Islamist militants operating in the region. United States forces launched strikes against Islamic State targets in northwest Nigeria on Christmas Day.
The Nigerian government has rejected claims of systematic persecution of Christians, saying its security operations are aimed at Islamist fighters and other armed groups that attack both Christian and Muslim civilians.
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