Troops of the 18 Brigade of the Nigerian Army have rescued 22 kidnap victims in Muchiya village, Rafi council area of Niger.

Adetayo Samuel Adewumi, the acting spokesperson for the operation, disclosed this on Wednesday, saying troops rescued the victims on Tuesday in conjunction with troops of 45 Battalion.

“Acting on credible intelligence on the convergence of terrorists, launched a fighting patrol to the general area,” he said.

Mr Adewumi stated that on sighting the advancing troops, the terrorists fled in disarray into the surrounding forest to evade contact.

“The determined troops sustained the pursuit of the terrorists along their escape routes. Consequently, troops rescued 22 kidnap victims and recovered 3 motorcycles and other sundry items abandoned by the fleeing terrorists,” he noted.

According to him, all rescued victims have been handed over to the leadership of the Muchiya community and have since been reunited with their families.

“One of the victims, Alhaji Hassan, who sustained injury while in captivity, was promptly evacuated to a clinic and is currently responding to treatment,” he stated.

The commander of 18 Brigade lauded the troops for their resilience, gallantry, and doggedness. He charged them to maintain the momentum and ensure continuous domination of the AOR.