By SUMAILA OGBAJE

The Nigerian Army says troops of Operation Peace Shield rescued 10 kidnapped women during a special operation in the early hours of Friday in Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

A credible source at Army Headquarters revealed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja.

The source said the victims were abducted from their farms at Unguwan Nungu on Nov. 29, prompting Sector 5 troops to launch sustained search-and-rescue mission.

He said the troops intercepted the kidnappers around 6.40 a.m. on Friday as they attempted to collect ransom money from relatives of the victims.

According to him, the soldiers engaged the criminals with superior firepower, forcing them to abandon the captives and flee.

“The troops recovered a fabricated AK-47 rifle, one round of 9mm ammunition and N1.6 million, described as part of the ransom money.

“The rescued women have since been debriefed and reunited with their families, while efforts are underway to track down the fleeing kidnappers,” he said.

The source said the Nigerian Army remained committed to restoring peace and security in different parts of the country.

He said the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, commended the troops and urged them to sustain the tempo against terrorists, bandits and criminal elements. (NAN)