- Safiu Kehinde
No fewer than six kidnapped victims have been rescued in Kaduna state by troops of Sector 1 Operation FANSAN YAMMA (OPFY).
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Tuesday by the military sector’s spokesperson, Lt. Col. Shuaib Umar.
According to the statement, the victims were rescued in the Kajuru/ Kujama general area of the state during a coordinated series of operations conducted on Monday across multiple axes within Chikun, Kajuru, Kachia and Kagarko Local Government Areas, including the fringes of Kauru border communities.
Umar said the operations were deliberately designed to further suffocate the freedom of action of violent extremists within the Joint Operations Area (JOA) and, by implication, the wider Sector 1 OPFY JOA.
He disclosed that the troops of Sub-Sector 5 had, in response to a distress alert on the activities of violent extremists around the Kasso adjoining hills, swiftly mobilised to the location.
On arrival, troops made contact with the criminals and engaged them with effective suppressive fire, forcing them to flee in disarray into the surrounding forest.
The gallant troops immediately exploited the area, leading to the successful rescue of six kidnapped victims.
The rescued victims were safely handed over to representatives of Kajuru Local Government Area and the Kajuru Emirate Council for onward reunification with their families.
Reacting, the General Officer Commanding/Commander Sector 1 Operation FANSAN YAMMA, Maj. Gen. Abubakar Sadiq Wase, commended the troops and charged them to remain on maximum alert and continue to sustain aggressive tempo to deny criminal elements freedom of action within the Joint Operations Area.