Nigerian Army men in a joint operation have rescued 58 kidnapped victims from a bandit camp controlled by a notorious bandit leader, Janbros, in Kaduna State.

The victims were on Saturday, November 16, handed over to the Kaduna State Government by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and the Chief of Defense Staff (CDS), Christopher Musa.

According to a press release from the Office national security advisor (ONSA), the victims were 35 men and 23 women.

The National Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC), Adamu Laka, explained that the victims were abducted from their homes and farmlands in Gayam, Sabon Layi and Kwaga villages in Dan Musa LGA, Katsina State.

Mr. Laka, a Major General, further explained that preliminary investigations showed that the victims were abducted by suspected armed bandits under the command of Janbros.

PREMIUM TIMES understands that Janbros was one of the ringleaders who took part in the abduction of over 100 school children in Kuriga, Chikun LGA, Kaduna State.

“During the kidnapping, the victims were forced to walk hundreds of kilometers through the thick forest in Birnin Gwari,” the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted Mr. Laka as saying during the handover of the victims to the government.

Mr. Laka said a joint operation led by men of the Nigerian Army 1 Division, Kaduna, on November 14, rescued the victims.

He added: “Upon rescuing them, the government provided them with all necessary assistance to stabilize them for further handover to ONSA for rehabilitation and immediate medical checks, where they were examined and six admitted.

“The six admitted victims have recovered and joined us for further handover to their families,” he said.

“No Ransom Paid”

The CDS, Mr. Musa, a general, claimed that the rescue of the victims did not involve any ransom payment.

“The rescue is the result of the combined efforts of the military and other security services,” Mr Musa said.

“The operation was both kinetic and non-kinetic, which requires efforts from everyone and not just military kinetic efforts,” he added.

He noted that efforts have been made by the presidency, ONSA and the Ministry of Defense and other agencies including Kaduna State.

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“The governor has been very supportive and very helpful and it is this collaborative effort that has made it possible for us to be able to save these individuals.

“It’s a joint effort and we’ve been able to do that through non-kinetic means of passing. No money has been paid for these individuals,” the defense chief said.

Noting that some people are trying to sabotage their efforts, Mr. Musa urged Nigerians to support the military in the fight against terror.

Appreciating the efforts of the military, the Chief of Staff to Kaduna Governor, Sani Limankila, who led representatives of the state government, stressed the need for Nigerians to collaborate with security agencies in the fight against insecurity.