Troops of the Nigerian Army’s 17 Brigade have rescued six kidnap victims, comprising four women and two children, after they escaped from their abductors in Katsina State.
The victims were rescued during a routine patrol by soldiers deployed at Unguwan Doka in Faskari Local Government Area on Monday, June 29, 2026.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by the Acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations, 17 Brigade, Captain Abayomi Adisa, the rescued victims were identified as Umaima Isiaku, 30; Amina Isiaku, 16; Safiya Isiaku, 15; Ramatu Suleiman, 30; Muhammad Shehu, 4; and Ibrahim Suleiman, 2.
According to the statement, the victims were found wandering through the bush after successfully escaping from armed bandits who had abducted them.
Preliminary investigations revealed that they were kidnapped on June 22, 2026, from Unguwan Lado in Kankara Local Government Area of the state.
The army said the troops immediately provided the victims with first aid, food and other essential items before reuniting them with their families.
“Following their rescue, the troops administered first aid and provided food and other immediate necessities before reuniting them with their families,” the statement read.
The Commander of the 17 Brigade, Brigadier General Ishaya Ibrahim, reaffirmed the military’s resolve to intensify operations against criminal groups operating across the state.
He stated that the brigade would continue to sustain aggressive operations aimed at dismantling criminal networks while protecting lives and property within its area of responsibility.
The rescue forms part of the Nigerian Army’s ongoing offensive against banditry and other security threats in Katsina State and the wider North-West region.