Troops of the Joint Task Force North Central, Operation SAVANNAH SHIELD (OPSS), have recorded significant operational successes against kidnappers, terrorists and other armed criminal elements across the North Central region, rescuing four kidnapped victims and neutralising a terrorist during separate operations in Niger and Kwara States.
The Director Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, disclosed this in a statement highlighting the Armed Forces of Nigeria’s ongoing military operations for the period covering 10 to 16 July 2026.
According to the statement, on 15 July 2026, troops conducting a routine night patrol responded swiftly to a distress alert over a kidnapping incident at Agwan Tomato in Tafa Local Government Area of Niger State, where two persons had been abducted.
The troops immediately pursued the kidnappers, successfully rescued the two victims and thwarted the criminals’ escape.
In a related operation on 16 July 2026, the Kwara State Forest Guards Station in Isin Local Government Area received credible intelligence indicating that suspected terrorists had been sighted on the outskirts of Owa-Onire community.
Acting on the intelligence, Forest Guard operatives launched a coordinated operation that led to the rescue of two children resident in Oke Oba village and the neutralisation of one terrorist.
Security operatives also recovered one AK-47 rifle, ten magazines and one Dane gun during the operation.
The Defence Headquarters stated that the rescued victims have since been reunited with their families, while the recovered weapons and equipment have been handed over to the Department of State Services (DSS) for further investigation.
The Armed Forces of Nigeria reaffirmed their commitment to sustaining coordinated operations across the North Central region to dismantle criminal networks, protect communities and ensure lasting peace, while urging citizens to continue providing timely and credible intelligence to security agencies.
