Army operation in Sokoto rescues 23 kidnapped victims, arrests four suspected Lakurawa members

 Soldiers from Sector 2 of the Joint Task Force North West, spearheading Operation FANSAN YAMMA, have orchestrated a remarkable series of tactical victories across Sokoto State.

In a stunning display of operational prowess, these forces have liberated 23 captive individuals from the clutches of terrorists, dismantled multiple attack plots, and apprehended four suspected operatives of the notorious Lakurawa terrorist organization through coordinated missions. Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Danja, the Media Information Officer for the Joint Task Force North West under Operation FANSAN YAMMA, unveiled these triumphant results to journalists through an official communiqué released on Monday.

Executed with precision on September 20, 2026, these dynamic operations additionally yielded the recovery of six head of cattle that terrorists had pilfered. Within Wurno Local Government Area, military personnel swiftly mobilized in response to a ferocious assault on Sabon Gari, where insurgents had penetrated the settlement and unleashed a barrage of gunfire, compelling inhabitants to scatter in panic. 

The soldiers engaged the assailants with overwhelming force, compelling them to retreat hastily while simultaneously extracting six captive individuals to safety. A civilian who sustained a ballistic injury during the confrontation received urgent medical evacuation and treatment.

In a parallel operation traversing the Sabon Birni–Takatsaba corridor within Sabon Birni Local Government Area, troops capitalized on actionable intelligence indicating that terrorists intended to traverse the thoroughfare near Chabe Biyu. 

The soldiers strategically positioned themselves along the anticipated terrorist pathway and unleashed devastating firepower upon visual contact, sending the insurgents fleeing in disarray. Troops subsequently saturated the region with their presence, effectively neutralizing any possibility of terrorist reorganization or unrestricted movement. Concurrently, soldiers answered an urgent distress signal concerning terrorist operations along the Isa–Kwanar Isa–Shinkafi corridor in Isa Local Government Area.

According to military accounts, the troops established contact with the insurgents and delivered a crushing counterattack, scattering them in complete disorder. A thorough reconnaissance of the operational zone subsequently resulted in the emancipation of 17 enslaved civilians. One of the liberated individuals, bearing a fractured bone, was transported to the General Hospital in Isa for specialized medical intervention.