Troops of the 12 Brigade of the Nigerian Army have rescued the remaining nine victims abducted from the Daarul-Kitab Islamic Orphanage in Zariagi, Lokoja, Kogi State, while also intercepting a suspected terrorist ammunition courier in separate operations.
The Army disclosed this in a statement issued Thursday by the Acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations, Lt. Ahmad Hassan Abdullahi.
According to the statement, the operations were conducted on May 6, 2026, under Operation Tiger Paw II as part of ongoing security efforts in Kogi State.
Abdullahi said troops rescued the remaining victims from the orphanage after sustained search-and-rescue operations based on credible intelligence.
He said troops from the brigade’s Blocking Force intercepted and rescued the victims in the Agbaja Forest area of Lokoja Local Government Area.
The rescued victims included five boys, two girls and two adult women believed to be wives of the orphanage proprietor.
The Army said the victims were evacuated to the 12 Brigade Medical Centre for medical attention and first aid and were all in stable condition.
In a separate operation, troops intercepted a suspected terrorist ammunition courier along the Obajana-Lokoja road in Lokoja Local Government Area.
The suspect, identified as Yahaya Umar, was allegedly found with 500 rounds of 7.62mm NATO belted ammunition concealed in a bag of maize.
According to the Army, preliminary investigations indicated that the suspect was part of a logistics network transporting arms and ammunition to terrorists operating in the North-Central region.
The statement said further interrogation revealed that the ammunition was handed to the suspect at Obajana Forest and was being transported to Dikko Junction in Suleja, Niger State, for delivery to an unidentified terrorist.
The Army said the suspect remained in custody and was undergoing further interrogation to aid efforts to dismantle the network and apprehend other members of the syndicate.
Abdullahi said the operations underscored the Nigerian Army’s commitment to protecting lives and maintaining pressure on terrorists and their collaborators.
He urged residents to continue supporting security agencies with timely and credible information.
The orphanage, which also serves as a school in Zariagi, was attacked by kidnappers about two weeks ago. While 17 victims were rescued on the day of the attack, the remaining nine were freed during Wednesday’s operation.
