Nigerian army rescues 11 victims after night operation

Nigerian army rescues 11 victims after night operation
A drone view of Kurmin Wali, where churches were attacked by gunmen and worshippers were kidnapped, in Kurmin Wali, Kaduna, Nigeria, 20 January, 2026.
REUTERS/Nuhu Gwamna

Nigeria’s army says troops have rescued 11 kidnap victims during a late-night operation on the Kaduna–Abuja highway after tracking militants moving captives through forested terrain.

The five men, three women and three children had been held for 92 days after being abducted from the Gada Mallam Maman community in Kaduna state in October.

According to the army, troops from the forward operating base in Doka detected movement on 26 January using long-range surveillance systems and observed armed militants pushing the group along a narrow bush track.

Soldiers moved in once the pattern became clear, intercepting the kidnappers and freeing the captives.

The Kaduna–Abuja corridor has become one of the most vulnerable stretches of road in the country, with kidnappings for ransom now a persistent threat across northwestern and central Nigeria.

Security concerns have drawn international attention in recent weeks, not least from U.S. President Donald Trump, who ordered a Christmas Day airstrike citing the persecution of Christians.

The sense of pressure intensified after more than 160 worshippers were seized from two churches in Kaduna last week, reinforcing fears that the region’s crisis is deepening despite ongoing military operations.

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