Troops of the 3 Brigade, Nigerian Army, under Operation MESA, have rescued a kidnapped victim, neutralised two suspected kidnappers and recovered ₦10m in ransom during an operation in Falgore Forest, Doguwa Local Government Area of Kano State.
This was disclosed in a statement by the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 3 Brigade, Major Babatunde Zubairu, a copy of which was made available to PUNCH Online on Saturday.
According to the statement, the operation followed the abduction of Alhaji Kabiru Aliyu on October 11, 2026, at Fanyabo Village in Falgore Forest, Doguwa LGA.
“The victim was reportedly returning from Yandoka Market in Kaduna State at about midnight when the incident occurred.
“The kidnappers subsequently contacted the victim’s family in Yan Taburmi Village, Falgore Forest, demanding a ransom for his release,” the statement said.
It said that, acting on credible intelligence, troops of the 3 Brigade, in conjunction with personnel of the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services and local hunters, mounted an ambush in the area.
“The operation resulted in the neutralisation of two suspected kidnappers and the successful rescue of the victim, while other members of the kidnapping syndicate fled towards Falgore Forest,” the statement added.
The statement said that during a subsequent search of the area, the troops recovered ₦10m reportedly paid by the victim’s family as ransom.
It added that the recovered money was returned to the victim and his family.
The Commander of the 3 Brigade, Brigadier General Saka Jimoh, commended the troops for their alertness, professionalism and fighting spirit.
He reaffirmed the brigade’s commitment to sustaining pressure on criminal elements and preventing further security breaches in the area.
Jimoh also urged members of the public to continue providing credible and timely information to security agencies to support efforts to maintain peace and security in Kano State.