Troops of Operation MESA under the 3 Brigade of the Nigerian Army have rescued seven kidnapped victims during a late-night operation in Tsanyawa Local Government Area of Kano State.
The operation was launched after residents of Yankamaye Cikin Gari placed a distress call around 11:00pm on Friday, alerting security agencies to the presence of armed bandits in the community.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Captain Babatunde Zubairu, said troops, supported by the Nigerian Air Force and the Police, swiftly stormed the area, engaged the attackers, and successfully freed the captives.
He added that the bandits had killed a 60-year-old woman before the troops arrived at the scene. According to Zubairu, soldiers pursued the fleeing bandits toward Rimaye after the initial encounter and unleashed what he described as a “high volume of fire,” forcing the criminals to abandon the victims.
Despite the successful rescue, four abducted persons are still missing, prompting an ongoing search. The statement noted that the bandits fled toward Kankia Local Government Area of Katsina State, with security forces maintaining pressure and tracking their movement.
The Commander of the 3 Brigade praised the troops for their courage and swift intervention, calling on residents to continue providing credible information to support ongoing operations aimed at ending banditry across border communities.
