BY SUNDAY SAMUEL—Troops of the Nigerian Army conducting Operation CLEAN SWEEP III have rescued four kidnapped victims during a sustained offensive against the criminal network of notorious bandit leader Kachalla Muhammadu Fulani in Katsina State.
The rescue operation was carried out on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, when troops of the 17 Brigade Strike Group/Quick Response Force, supported by personnel of the 8 Division Special Forces, launched a coordinated assault on terrorist hideouts in Fafu Village along the Matazu-Musawa axis.
Before the ground operation, the Air Component of Operation FANSAN YAMMA conducted Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions over the area, enabling troops to accurately identify and dominate the terrorists’ enclave.
Upon making contact with the bandits, troops engaged them with superior firepower, forcing the criminals to flee their camp and abandon their captives. A subsequent search of the hideout led to the successful rescue of four abducted victims.
The rescued individuals were immediately evacuated to the Forward Operating Base in Matazu, where they were received by the General Officer Commanding 8 Division and Commander Sector 2 of Operation FANSAN YAMMA, Major General BP Koughna. He reassured the victims of their safety and reiterated the military’s commitment to restoring peace and security across Katsina State.
Some of the victims, who sustained gunshot wounds inflicted by their captors during their period of captivity, received immediate medical treatment before being transferred to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina, for further specialist care.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the victims were abducted on April 14, 2026, from Sabon Sara along the Matazu-Karaduwa Road. They were reportedly held captive alongside the late retired Major General Rabe Abubakar and his wife.
Military authorities said troops remain on the trail of Kachalla Muhammadu Fulani and other members of his criminal network. Security forces have vowed to sustain ongoing operations until all those responsible for acts of terrorism and banditry in the region are apprehended or neutralised.
The Nigerian Army, working in collaboration with other security agencies, reaffirmed its determination to deny terrorists and bandits safe havens while ensuring the protection of lives and property across the country.
