Nigeria: Two Shot As Troops Foil Attempted Mass Abduction in Zamfara - Military

What the report says

The Nigerian military said troops in northwestern Zamfara State disrupted an attempted mass abduction and rescued nine civilians, including an infant, after suspected terrorists opened fire on travellers in Unguwar Rogo, Kaura Namoda Local Government Area. The incident, according to the Joint Task Force North-west, Operation Fansan Yamma, occurred on Sunday and was described in a statement released on Monday by spokesperson Aliyu Danja, a lieutenant colonel.

The military said two women were wounded by gunfire during the attack and were evacuated for treatment. It said troops moved in after a distress call reported that armed men had infiltrated the community and targeted people travelling on a local route. The attackers reportedly hid in a millet farm and fired at passing vehicles, causing some motorists to lose control and leave the road.

The statement said the assailants fled into nearby forest after troops intervened. It also said preliminary intelligence suggested the raid may have been linked to retaliation over the arrest of suspected collaborators, though the military did not provide details of those arrests. The report did not say how many suspects were detained, whether anyone was killed, or whether the nine civilians had already been seized before the troops arrived.

The episode underscores the continuing security pressure in Nigeria’s northwest, where armed groups have carried out kidnappings and roadside attacks for years. The military said operations against such groups would continue across the region.