The Nigerian Army has reported that it has intercepted 44 family members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists and rescued nine kidnapped victims in recent operations in various parts of the country. 

Results of the operations also included suspects, kidnappers and collaborators being arrested and the recovery of several weapons and ammunition, according to an operational report by the police made on Friday.

The report said that 222 Battalion troops arrested 43 family members of ISWAP terrorists in Kawuri Local Government Area of Borno.

The group were freed from the hands of terrorists in the area of Yuwe when clashes between JAS and ISWAP terrorists occurred, it said.

The intercepted people were subsequently handed over to the 7 Multinational Intervention Brigade for further action.

The report further added that a female ISWAP family member was arrested by the troops in Gwoza Local Government Area along the road from Gwoza to Limankara.

The report said preliminary investigation revealed that the woman escaped from a terrorist enclave in Chikide, on the Mandara Mountains.

In another development, five kidnapped victims, including the Chairman of Bungudu Local Government Area, Zamfara, were saved by troops of 1 Brigade from suspected terrorists’ captivity.

It said that the victims were rescued at a suspected terrorist camp around Sekpore village of Kaura Namoda Local Government Area. On the same day, troops set up blocking posts around Sekpore and Sabon Gari.

The victims were recently shifted from Abaniyawa terrorist camp after military pressure, while several other victims were able to escape during the operation, according to the report.

One of the rescued victims was reunited with his family; the others were taken to 1 Brigade Medical Centre for medical care, it said.

The report also showed that Counter-Terrorism 4 (CT4) soldiers in another operation along the Gusau-Sokoto road responded to a terrorist attack on a vehicle and engaged the attackers.

The terrorists ran into the surrounding bushes, allowing the troops to free four civilians from the vehicle, it added.

In Borno, 149 Battalion of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) arrested and detained a suspected kidnapper in Gubio town and recovered an AK-47 rifle.

The suspect then directed troops to Ardimini village, where they found an AK-47 magazine filled with 12 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition.

It added that “a suspected terrorist collaborator was arrested at Geidam market by the Nigerian Forest Guards and mobile phones as well as N296,000 cash were recovered.”

It added that an Alogomo suspected terrorist camp in the Edu Local Government Area of Niger was raided by troops of Operation Savannah Shield.

The terrorists, it said, had reportedly fled before troops arrived, and the troops had recovered an AK-47 magazine which contained eight bullets of special 7.62mm ammunition.

The report said that two suspected kidnappers were arrested and an AK-47 rifle, 25 bullets of 7.62mm special ammunition and a motorcycle were recovered by the troops of Operation Whirl Stroke on the Otukpo-Makurdi road in Benue.

The suspected gun runner arrested at Adikpo in Kwande Local Government Area was also picked up in Taraba and Benue, while two impostors were also picked up in Taraba and Benue.

In another development, soldiers in Edo, in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), tore up two cannabis farms at Oke Camp and Eko Camp 1 and 2 in Esan South-East Local Government Area.

It said four suspects were arrested and fresh and dried cannabis recovered before handing over the suspects and exhibits to the NDLEA.