Troops of 2 Division/Sector 3, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, have rescued three additional kidnap victims from the Babanla Forest in Kwara State, as the Nigerian Army intensifies its onslaught against bandits terrorising rural communities.
The Acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations, 22 Armoured Brigade, Ilorin, Captain Stephen Nwankwo, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday.
According to him, the rescue followed a coordinated operation on Saturday based on credible intelligence about the movement of suspected kidnappers in the area.
Nwankwo said troops from the Patrol Base Babanla raided a suspected bandit hideout and successfully freed 25-year-old Oluwabusayo Taiwo and her three-year-old son, Taiwo Irayomide, who were abducted at Oke-Ode on September 28, 2025.
“The rescued victims are currently receiving first aid treatment at the Patrol Base sick bay and will be reunited with their family members in due course,” the statement added.
In a separate operation the same day, troops on routine patrol along a known bandit route rescued Mr. Mohammed Sanni, a 40-year-old tea seller from the Garkarima community.
The kidnappers reportedly fled upon sighting the soldiers, abandoning the victim, who was found injured and lying in a pool of blood.
Nwankwo noted that one Dane gun and a cutlass were recovered from the scene, while the rescued victim was receiving medical care at the patrol base clinic.
The Commander, 22 Armoured Brigade, Brigadier General Ezra Barkins, commended the troops for their courage and swift response, assuring that the army would sustain its operations until all criminal elements are flushed out of the state.
“We remain fully committed to the safety and security of all citizens and will continue to intensify operations to restore peace and stability across Kwara State and its environs,” Barkins stated.
Saturday’s rescue came barely 24 hours after troops of the same operation freed two kidnapped victims in Idofin, Irepodun Local Government Area, following a fierce exchange of gunfire with abductors.
Earlier in the week, soldiers had also rescued two persons in Lafiagi after engaging suspected bandits who had abducted them from a nearby village.
Residents in parts of Ifelodun, Edu, and Patigi local government areas have repeatedly appealed for stronger security presence as bandit attacks continue to threaten farming and local trade in the region.
The recent coordinated operations under Operation FANSAN YAMMA underscore the military’s renewed resolve to restore normalcy and safeguard lives across Kwara and neighbouring states.
