Troops intercept gun runners, rescue kidnap victims

Troops of the Joint Task Force North West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, have intercepted three suspected gun runners and rescued six kidnapped victims in separate operations across Zamfara and Katsina states over the weekend. The operations, conducted on August 22 and August 23, 2026, also led to the recovery of a rifle, ammunition, and cash seized from the victims. In Zamfara State, troops from Sector 2 intercepted a vehicle along the Kaura Namoda-Shinkafi Road on Sunday, August 23. A search of the vehicle uncovered an AK1032 rifle, one magazine, and 30 rounds of ammunition concealed inside a bag of millet. According to a statement issued on Monday by the Media Information Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Danja, preliminary investigations indicated the weapons were destined for Yar-Galadima in Maru Local Government Area. The three suspects and the recovered items are in military custody for further investigation. In a separate operation in Zamfara on the same day, troops responded to a distress call about an attack on motorists along the Anka-Gummi Road. Danja said the troops engaged the attackers as they attempted to force their captives into a nearby forest.