By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini
In a significant blow to criminal elements, Nigerian Army troops have rescued three kidnapped victims, including a young mother and her toddler, during aggressive clearance operations in Kwara State.
The operations, conducted on Saturday, October 11, 2025, by troops of 2 Division/Sector 3 under Operation FANSAN YAMMA, targeted bandit hideouts and routes within the Babanla Forest.
According to an army statement, acting on credible intelligence, soldiers deployed at the Patrol Base Babanla stormed a suspected bandit camp.
There, they successfully rescued 25-year-old Mrs. Oluwabusayo Taiwo and her three-year-old son, Taiwo Irayomide.
The duo was among those abducted from the Oke-Ode community on September 28, 2025.
In a separate incident on the same day, troops on a routine patrol along a suspected bandit escape route encountered kidnappers with another victim.
The bandits fled upon sighting the military patrol, abandoning 40-year-old Mohammadu Sani, a local tea seller popularly known as Mai Shayi from Garkarima.
The troops found Mr. Sani in a pool of blood. They recovered one dane gun and a cutlass left behind by the fleeing assailants.
All three rescued victims are currently receiving medical attention at the Patrol Base sick bay and are reported to be in stable condition.
The army stated they will be reunited with their families in due course.
The Commander of the 22 Armoured Brigade, Brigadier General Ezra Barkins, commended the troops for their “swift response and professionalism.”
He reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to ensuring the safety of citizens and intensifying operations to restore peace and stability across Kwara State.