Troops of the Nigerian Army have rescued 12 kidnapped victims and arrested suspected aides of a notorious bandit leader during a series of coordinated operations across forest areas linking Plateau and Taraba States.
According to intelligence sources quoted by security analyst and counter-insurgency expert, Zagagola Magama, on Thursday, the operation, conducted under Operation Wutan Daji, took place between April 15 and 16.
It was gathered that the operation involved personnel from the 33 Artillery Brigade working alongside a tactical team from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
The offensives targeted criminal hideouts in the Dajin Madam and Kumbodoro forest axis, a region known for bandit activity spanning both states.
It further disclosed that troops forced the captors to abandon their victims, enabling all 12 individuals to escape.
Following their rescue, the victims were taken into custody for profiling and initial care before being relocated to an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) facility in Fukuk.
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In addition to the rescue, troops arrested key associates believed to be linked to a fleeing bandit kingpin, whose identity was not disclosed.
Security forces also recovered a cache of items during the operation, including a Dane gun, a locally fabricated AK-47 rifle, and a power bank.
The military described the operation as part of ongoing efforts to dismantle bandit networks and restore security across the North-Central region.
They added that clearance operations in the affected forest corridors are continuing, with troops maintaining pressure on criminal elements operating in the area.