Troops of the 17 Brigade, operating under the Joint Task Force (North West) Operation FANSAN YAMMA, have rescued nine kidnapped victims who managed to escape from a terrorists’ hideout after their abductors reportedly fell asleep. The rescue operation took place on July 15, 2026, in Katsina State.
Rescue Details and Victim Profile
According to a statement released on Friday, July 17, 2026, by Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Danja, Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force (North West) Operation FANSAN YAMMA, the victims were intercepted at about 8:30 a.m. on July 15 by troops conducting a foot patrol at Anguwan Doka in Faskari Local Government Area. The rescued individuals included three women, four men, and two young children.
Escape During Captors' Slumber
During preliminary interrogation, the victims disclosed that they had been abducted by armed terrorists along the Tsafe–Kuchere road in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State. They told troops that they seized the opportunity to flee after the guards at the terrorists’ enclave fell asleep. The victims then trekked until they were encountered by the patrol team. They identified themselves as indigenes of Kuchere village in Tsafe LGA of Zamfara State.
Military Response and Next Steps
The military has taken the victims into protective custody, while efforts are ongoing to contact the relevant authorities for their formal handover and reunification with their families. The Theatre Commander of the Joint Task Force North West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, commended the troops for their professionalism, vigilance, and resilience in sustaining pressure on criminal elements across the theatre. He reaffirmed the resolve of the Joint Task Force to sustain intelligence-driven operations in collaboration with other security agencies and law-abiding citizens, until terrorism and other forms of criminality are decisively defeated in the North West.
