A representative said on Monday that nine kidnapped victims were freed by Nigerian soldiers, but two more perished before help could arrive.

The spokesperson of the 1 Division of the Nigerian Army, Musa Yahaya, a lieutenant colonel, said the soldiers who were on routine patrol in the Kanzaure area were tipped off about the kidnap of 11 civilians at Anguwan Maharba and Dandami villages.

The soldiers were deployed to Birnin Yero in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna.

Mr Yahaya said the troops and the Civilian Joint Task Force swiftly mobilised and ambushed the bandits. After a shootout, they successfully rescued some of the victims.

“Troops made contact with the bandits and the overwhelming firepower of the troops made the bandits withdraw in disarray with gunshot wounds.

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“The troops rescued 9 kidnapped victims namely Inusa Bala 45, Halima Gambo 36, Halima Saidu 35, Ladi Musa 35, Aisha Basiru 30, Inusa Saidu 22, and Faiza Inusa 10.

“Others are Dahara Saidu 10, and Shahid Inusa 1 year and 5 months, while 2 of the kidnapped victims, Safiya Saidu 19, and Saadatu Saidu 18 years respectively were killed by the bandits before the troops’ arrival,” Mr Yahaya said.

During the operation, troops recovered one AK 47 rifle, one AK 47 rifle magazine, and one locally made weapon from the bandits, the army officer added.

He said the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 Division and Force Commander Operation WHIRL PUNCH, Valentine Okoro, a major general, commended the troops for their resilience and charged them not to relent in ensuring peace and safety of citizens in the division’s area of responsibility.

The spokesperson said the GOC urged the citizens of Kaduna State to continue availing troops and other security agencies with credible intelligence.

The area where the latest kidnap incident took place is part of the larger Igabi council area where a military drone killed at least 85 people last week Sunday at the Tudun Biri community.

Kaduna is one of Nigeria’s north-west states being terrorised by armed persons locally called bandits. Attacks by armed persons are frequent in the state, with several people killed and others abducted for ransom.