Troops rescue nine, foil mass abduction in Zamfara

Troops rescued nine civilians, including an infant, after foiling an attempted mass abduction by suspected terrorists in Zamfara State.

Troops have foiled an attempted mass abduction by suspected terrorists in Unguwar Rogo, Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State, the military has said. The Joint Task Force North-west, Operation Fansan Yamma, said nine civilians, including an infant, were rescued during the incident, which occurred on Sunday.

In a statement issued on Monday, the spokesperson for the operation, Aliyu Danja, a lieutenant colonel, said troops responded after receiving a distress call that suspected terrorists had infiltrated the community and attacked civilians travelling along a local route. Mr Danja said preliminary intelligence indicated that the attack might have been carried out in retaliation for a recent arrest of suspected collaborators allegedly linked to the terrorist network.

The attackers, whom the military believes were operating under a suspected leader identified as Mallam Shuaibu, hid in a millet farm along the route and shot at passing vehicles. The shooting caused some motorists to lose control of their vehicles and veer off the road, he said. “Responding swiftly to the distress call, troops of Sector 2 moved to the area and decisively engaged the terrorists, denying them the opportunity to carry out the abduction,” the statement said.

The military said the attackers subsequently fled into the surrounding forest. It said troops rescued nine civilians after the encounter, including an infant. Two women who sustained gunshot wounds during the attack were evacuated for treatment, Mr Danja said, without providing details of their current condition.

The statement did not clarify whether the nine civilians had already been seized by the attackers before the intervention or were rescued from the attack scene before they could be abducted. It also did not state whether any of the suspected terrorists or soldiers were killed or injured during the encounter.

This echoes the 2022 mass abduction attempts in Zamfara, which also saw troops intervene to prevent large-scale kidnappings. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a military response that saved lives.

The winners: the nine rescued civilians, including an infant; and the troops who prevented a mass abduction. The losers: the families of the two wounded women, and the Nigerian state, which continues to face the threat of mass abductions in the North-west.

Bottom Line: Troops have foiled a mass abduction and rescued nine civilians. The attackers fled. The question is whether the military can sustain the pressure or the terrorists will regroup.