Nigerian Troops Secure 18 Hostages in Borno, Kogi, While Bandits Abduct Two Women in Kwara

​Nigerian security forces successfully rescued eighteen abducted citizens across Borno and Kogi states, even as a fresh kidnapping incident was recorded in Kwara State.

​In Borno State, twelve individuals—including seven women and five children—were freed from the Mandara Mountains in Gwoza LGA. The victims had been abducted on November 14. The rescue operation, conducted by Nigerian Army troops under Operation Desert Sanity IV with support from local forces, involved a pre-dawn assault that forced the terrorists to abandon their captives. The rescued victims have been medically attended to and handed over to authorities for family reunification.

​Simultaneously, in Kogi State, troops from the 12 Brigade successfully rescued six victims in the Ejiba and Saminaka Forest areas, following intense air and ground offensives. Five of the rescued individuals have since been reunited with their families.

​However, the positive news was overshadowed by reports of banditry in Kwara State. Two women, identified as Miss Abigael Obagbemi (25) and Mrs. Abiodun Olawale (35), were kidnapped by gunmen in Koro, Ekiti LGA, while heading to the market. Family sources confirmed the kidnappers have already demanded a hefty ransom of N100 million for their release. The persistent attacks highlight the severe insecurity challenges plaguing communities that border multiple states, which criminals exploit for quick escapes.