By Demola Akinyemi, Ilorin
Two kidnapped victims have been rescued by the troops of Operation FANSAN YAMMA under the 22 Armoured Brigade, Ilorin, following separate gun battles with suspected bandits in Efagi village, Lafiagi, and the Ayekale axis of Edu and Omu-Aran Local Government Areas of Kwara State.
Sunday Vanguard reliably gathered that the latest rescue operations come amid intensified counter-insurgency efforts by the Nigerian Army across Kwara North and adjoining states affected by rising cases of banditry and abductions.
In a statement obtained by Sunday Vanguard on Saturday, the Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 22 Armoured Brigade, Captain Stephen Nwankwo, said troops stationed at the Lafiagi patrol base swung into action after receiving intelligence about an abduction incident at Efagi village in the early hours of Friday, October 10, 2025.
According to him, the troops, in collaboration with local vigilantes, pursued the kidnappers and engaged them in a fierce exchange of gunfire, forcing the hoodlums to abandon their victims and flee into the nearby forest.
“During the encounter, one soldier and a vigilante member sustained gunshot wounds. Both have been evacuated for medical treatment,” Nwankwo disclosed.
He added that the rescued victims had been reunited with their families, while the troops had intensified clearance operations in the area to apprehend the fleeing bandits and restore normalcy.
The Commander, 22 Armoured Brigade, Brigadier General Ezra Barkins, commended the troops for their gallantry, professionalism, and swift response.
He also reiterated the Nigerian Army’s resolve to sustain the ongoing military operations against criminal elements in Kwara and neighbouring states.
He urged residents to remain vigilant and provide credible intelligence to aid the security agencies in tackling insecurity in rural communities.
Meanwhile, the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 2 Division of the Nigerian Army, and Commander Sector 3 Operation FANSAN YAMMA, Major General C.R. Nnebeife, has visited Omu-Aran and other affected communities following an attack on traders at Olegbede village, near Idofin Ayekale in Irepodun Local Government Area, where three persons were reportedly killed.
The Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 2 Division Nigerian Army, Lieutenant Colonel Polycarp Okoye, in a statement, said the visit formed part of the GOC’s operational assessment to boost troops’ morale and reassure affected communities of the Army’s commitment to restoring peace.
During the visit, Major General Nnebeife met with the traditional ruler of the community, the Dofin of Idofin, Oba Pius Oluwole Oni, who lamented that the attacks were linked to the community’s proximity to the Babasango Forest, which has become a hideout for criminal gangs.
In his response, the GOC sympathised with the monarch and his subjects over the incident and assured them of sustained military operations to clear the forests of bandits and restore peace.
Okoye added that earlier, during a tour of the Babanla Patrol Base, the GOC led troops in an advance operation toward the Babasango Forest, where two kidnapped victims were successfully rescued and later handed over to the Dofin of Idofin during the visit.
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