Troops from the 18 Brigade of the Nigerian Army have rescued nine kidnapped victims and stopped terrorist attacks in two separate operations in Mariga and Rijau Local Government Areas of Niger State.
In a statement released on X by Captain Adebayo Adewumi, the Acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations, the successes came as troops stepped up their fight against terrorists and other criminals in the Brigade’s area of responsibility.
On Wednesday, August 12, soldiers from the Nigerian Army Training Centre Admin Battalion, based in Kotonkoro, rescued nine victims during their offensive operations in Mariga LGA. The victims were later handed over to officials from the Mariga Local Government for documentation and to reunite them with their families.
In another operation on the same day, troops on patrol in the Warari area of Rijau LGA faced a terrorist ambush and cleared it. While searching the area, the soldiers found seven motorcycles, one camel, 47 cattle, and 18 sheep believed to have been stolen from local communities. The recovered livestock were given to the appropriate authorities.
On August 10, the Brigade’s Quick Response Force, working with troops from the 311 Artillery Regiment and Chief of Army Staff Special Intervention Battalion X, stopped a terrorist attack near Inana Village, Majal, and Tunga Bisallah in Rijau LGA.
Acting on reliable intelligence, the troops intercepted the terrorists as they tried to enter the communities. The terrorists, who were on motorcycles, fled into a nearby forest when they saw the soldiers. The troops chased the attackers, forcing them to leave behind their equipment and motorcycles. Some of the terrorists were likely injured by gunfire.
After the chase, the troops found one AK-47 rifle, an empty magazine, and various types of ammunition. They also recovered one motorcycle and destroyed six others.
The commander of the 18 Brigade praised the troops for their “courage, resilience and professionalism.” He encouraged them to keep up their efforts and stay alert.
He also urged the soldiers to work harder to defeat terrorists and criminals in the state. According to the brigade commander, troops should continue to use “reliable information from local communities” to disrupt criminal activities and limit terrorists' movements.
He stated that the achievements so far show the commitment of the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shuaibu, to “dominate the battlespace, accelerate offensive operations, and fight terrorism and other criminal activities.”
The commander further called on the troops to track down and eliminate criminals in the Brigade’s area to protect vulnerable communities and safeguard lives and property.
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