With barely three weeks after a Major, Four Soldiers and a Number of local Vigilantes were ambushed and killed by Bandits at Itu in Munya Local Government area of Niger State, the Military has carried out a major operation in parts of the state, rescuing well over 100 kidnap victims.

About 20 military vehicles loaded with soldiers from Kaduna state had stormed Niger forests on Monday and combed all the bandits’ hideout in Tshohon Kabula, Mangoro, Zagzaga, Pole wire and Kazai were they (Soldiers) engaged the gunmen in a fierce gun battle, leading to the rescue of the victims.

The victims who comprises of Men, women and their Children, some of them said to have spent over four months in captivity, were rescued by the gallant soldiers in an operation that began on Monday and is still ongoing, extending to more of the Bandits hideouts in the area.

Majority of the victims were those kidnapped from Adunu, Kudami Abollo, Ishau in Paikoro Local Government and Zagzaga, Beni, Mangoro, Tshohon Kabula and Kazai in Munya Local Government areas of the state.

According to a source close to one of the communities, whose first wife is among the rescued victims, the Bandits suffered heavy casualty with scores of them neutralized while others who could not escaped due to bullets wounds were captured by the soldiers.

It was further gathered that all the rescued victims have been taken to Military facilities in Kaduna for medical examination, profiling and possible release to their relations.

It could be recalled that over 60 people, including women and children were abducted from communities across two local government areas of Paikoro and Munya about three weeks ago by heavily armed bandits.

The Bandits were however intercepted by the state Joint Security Taskforce at Itu village in Munya local government on their way to their hideout where scores of them were killed and about eight of the kidnap victims escaped to freedom.

Sadly, a Nigerian Army Major, four Soldiers and a number of local vigilantes also lost their lives during the encounter and the Bandits who were over 100 in number, managed to escape with some victims.

Five of the victims were however executed four days ago by their captors when the communities could not meet the N100million ransom demanded for their release with a threat by the gunmen to kill all of them if their demand is not met. (Daily Sun)

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