Troops of Sector 4 of Operation Whirl Punch of the Nigerian Army have rescued 13 hostages from a kidnappers? den in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

According to a statement by the Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, the hostages were rescued by the troops through a credible human intelligence of bandits moving the kidnapped victims in the general area of Chigulu village in Kachia LGA.

He said that the troops subsequently mobilized for a rescue operation at the location of the suspected bandits? camp and immediately engaged the bandits in a fierce gun battle, which forced them to abandon the victims and fled into the dense forest.

The rescued hostages from the bandits camp include six men and seven women, while the troops also destroyed the camp and recovered one AK-47 rifle, one locally made rifle, four AK-47 magazines, eighty-seven rounds 7.62mm ammunition, five mini solar panels, five mobile phones andthe sum of N192,220.

The statement added that the rescued victims were conveyed to a military facility for examination and debriefing before being reunited with their families.

Meanwhile, the Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, has expressed happiness at the report, and praised the swift response of the troops led by the General Officer Commanding 1 Division Nigerian Army/Commander Operation Whirl Punch (OPWP), Major General Mariyenso Saraso for the successful operation. (Channels TV)