Crime
Nigerian Troops Rescue 86 Kidnap Victims, Capture Suspected Militant Suppliers in Borno State
By: Adamu Aliyu Ngulde
Nigerian military forces said on Sunday that they had rescued 86 people kidnapped by Islamist militants in Borno State and arrested 29 alleged logistics suppliers supporting the insurgents, marking a significant gain in the country’s long-running fight against Boko Haram and its Islamic State affiliate.
According to a statement from Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, spokesperson for Operation Hadin Kai, troops from the 135 Special Forces Battalion encountered Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters on November 9 near Dutse Kura, along the Buratai–Kamuya road. The troops reportedly intervened after learning that militants were abducting civilians and seizing vehicles in the area.
Following a firefight, soldiers pursued the insurgents toward Mangari, where they discovered and dismantled 11 makeshift militant shelters. The operation led to the rescue of 86 kidnapped victims, including men, women, and children, Uba said.
Weapons and supplies recovered from the scene included an AK-47 rifle, several magazines of ammunition, motorcycles, bicycles, and civilian vehicles. The army said the terrorists’ camp was destroyed after the area was cleared.
In a separate raid near Mangada, troops detained 29 suspected suppliers allegedly transporting fuel, food, medical supplies, and other goods to militant camps. Two pickup trucks, a tricycle, and hundreds of liters of petrol were among the seized items.
The army reported no casualties among its forces. Nigeria’s military leadership commended the troops for what it described as “gallantry and professionalism” and pledged to sustain pressure on insurgents across the northeast.
Borno State, at the center of Nigeria’s 15-year conflict with Boko Haram, remains one of the hardest-hit regions in the fight that has displaced more than two million people and claimed tens of thousands of lives since 2009.
