Aliyu Danja, spokesman for military operations in northwestern Nigeria, said that the troops rescued the travelers along a highway in Zamfara State after their vehicle broke down, Xinhua reported.
According to Danja, those rescued included 24 men, 10 women and seven children. The travelers were heading from Senegal to Kano in northern Nigeria when their vehicle developed a mechanical fault in Zamfara.
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Suspected terrorists allegedly took advantage of the situation to kidnap them and were preparing to move the victims to surrounding areas when troops arrived and rescued 41 people unharmed.
Danja said the troops acted on “actionable intelligence,” mobilized to the scene and engaged the armed group with superior firepower, forcing them to abandon the victims and flee into nearby farmlands.
The military said operations in the northern region were continuing, with troops focused on disrupting armed groups and their activities while securing major transport routes.
