Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
KANO, Nigeria — Troops of the Nigerian Army’s Joint Task Force (JTF) Faruruwa have successfully rescued an abducted man and recovered several stolen motorcycles and rustled cattle following a fierce engagement with armed bandits along the Kano–Katsina border, security sources said. The operation, carried out in the early hours of Sunday, marked a notable tactical success against criminal elements disrupting peace in the border communities.
According to a statement from Major Zubair Babatunde, spokesperson for the 3 Brigade Nigerian Army, troops acted on a credible tip-off around 1 a.m. alerting them to the movement of suspected bandits from Daurawa and Kira areas of Katsina State toward Kano. The information triggered a rapid deployment from Forward Operating Base (FOB) Yankwada, with fighting patrols mobilised to intercept the criminal elements near the Ungwan Dogo/Ungwan Tudu axis of the border region.
Upon arrival at the identified coordinates, soldiers encountered the bandits and engaged them in a brief but intense gun battle that forced the attackers to retreat in disarray toward Matazu Local Government Area of Katsina State. In the ensuing chaos, JTF troops located and rescued the kidnapped victim — 38-year-old Rabiu Alhaji Halilu — who had been wounded in the leg during his captivity. He was immediately evacuated to the JTF Faruruwa Medical Centre, where he was reported to be receiving medical attention.
The Nigerian Army also recovered three motorcycles abandoned by the fleeing bandits, along with a number of cattle believed to have been rustled by the criminal group, reflecting the multi-dimensional threat banditry poses to local livelihoods and rural economies. The recovered livestock and motorcycles were taken into custody as part of evidence and efforts to deny criminal networks the assets they often rely on to sustain operations.
Major Babatunde highlighted that the troops have remained on high alert, stepping up patrols and maintaining a more visible security presence to prevent further incursions in communities along the volatile frontier. The operation underscores ongoing efforts by the Nigerian military to confront cross-border banditry, which has repeatedly disrupted traffic, trade and farming activities in the northwest region.
Security analysts say the engagement is part of a broader pattern of intensified military operations along key border corridors, where bandits exploit remote terrain to stage kidnappings, cattle rustling and other criminal activities. The Nigerian Army’s approach of combining targeted intelligence with swift ground action is designed to degrade the capability of these groups and restore a measure of safety for vulnerable populations.
The rescued victim’s recovery and the seizure of stolen assets are expected to provide a morale boost to residents of communities that have endured recurring threats, while also contributing to broader strategies aimed at curbing insecurity in the region.
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