By Kingsley Omonobi
ABUJA — Troops of the Nigerian Army’s 18 Brigade have rescued nine kidnapped victims and foiled attempted terrorist attacks on communities in Mariga and Rijau Local Government Areas of Niger State.
The operations, conducted as part of intensified offensive operations against terrorists and other criminal elements in the brigade’s area of responsibility, also led to the recovery of arms, motorcycles and suspected rustled livestock.
The Brigade spokesman, Captain Adebayo Adewumi, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.
According to him, troops of the Nigerian Army Training Centre (NATR) Admin Battalion, deployed at Kotonkoro, rescued the nine kidnapped victims during an operation in Mariga LGA on Wednesday, August 12, 2026.
He said the rescued victims were handed over to representatives of the Mariga Local Government authorities for documentation and onward reunification with their families.
Adewumi added that, on the same day, troops conducting a fighting patrol in the Warari general area of Rijau LGA encountered and cleared a terrorist ambush.
During the exploitation of the area, the troops recovered seven motorcycles, one camel, 47 cattle and 18 sheep, suspected to have been rustled from local communities.
The recovered livestock were handed over to the appropriate authorities, he said.
The spokesman further disclosed that troops of the Brigade’s Quick Response Force, in conjunction with personnel of 311 Artillery Regiment and Chief of Army Staff Special Intervention Battalion X, foiled an attempted terrorist attack and infiltration of communities in the Inana Village, Majal and Tunga Bisallah areas of Rijau LGA on Monday, August 10.
He said the troops, acting on credible intelligence and maintaining an effective presence in the area, intercepted the terrorists as they attempted to infiltrate the communities.
According to him, the terrorists, who were riding motorcycles, fled towards a nearby forest after sighting the troops.
“The troops engaged them, forcing them to abandon their equipment and motorcycles, while some of the fleeing terrorists were believed to have sustained gunshot wounds,” he said.
A subsequent search of the area led to the recovery of an AK-47 rifle, an empty magazine and ammunition of different calibres.
The troops also recovered one motorcycle, while six other motorcycles were destroyed at the scene.
The Commander, 18 Brigade, commended the troops for their courage, resilience and professionalism, urging them to sustain the operational tempo and intensify efforts to degrade terrorist and criminal elements operating in the state.
He also charged the troops to continue to leverage credible information from local communities to disrupt criminal activities and deny terrorists freedom of action.
The commander said the successes recorded so far reflected the commitment of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Waidi Shuaibu, to dominating the battlespace, intensifying offensive operations and degrading terrorism and other criminal activities.
He urged the troops to continue pursuing criminal elements within the brigade’s area of responsibility to safeguard vulnerable communities and protect lives and property.
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