Troops from 2 Division/Sector 3, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, have recovered three more kidnapped victims from Kwara State’s Babanla Forest, as the Nigerian Army steps up its onslaught against bandits terrorizing the state’s villages.
Captain Stephen Nwankwo, Acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations, 22 Armoured Brigade, Ilorin, said in a statement on Sunday that the victims were rescued during coordinated operations on Saturday following credible intelligence regarding the kidnappers’ movements in the region.
Nwankwo said troops deployed at the Patrol Base Babanla stormed a suspected bandit hideout and successfully rescued Oluwabusayo Taiwo, aged 25, and her three-year-old son, Taiwo Irayomide, who were abducted at Oke-Ode on September 28, 2025.
“The rescued victims are currently receiving first aid treatment at the Patrol Base sick bay and will be reunited with their family members in due course,” the statement read.
In a separate operation that day, troops on routine patrol along a known bandit trail recovered Mr. Mohammed Sanni, a 40-year-old Garkarima tea vendor. When the patrol team approached, the bandits reportedly fled, leaving the victim in a pool of blood.
“One Dane gun and a cutlass were recovered from the scene,” the army spokesperson added, noting that the victim was receiving medical attention at the patrol base clinic.
Brigadier General Ezra Barkins, Commander of the 22nd Armoured Brigade, praised the troops for their bravery and quick response, saying that the Nigerian Army will continue to conduct operations to totally eliminate criminal elements from the state.
“We remain fully committed to the safety and security of all citizens and will continue to intensify operations to restore peace and stability across Kwara State and its environs,” Barkins said.
Saturday’s rescue happened less than 24 hours after forces from the same operation liberated two kidnapped victims in Idofin, Irepodun Local Government Area, after a ferocious fire battle with the abductors.
Earlier this week, the army freed two people in Lafiagi after confronting suspected bandits who had kidnapped them from a nearby village.
Residents in sections of Ifelodun, Edu, and Patigi LGAs have regularly requested increased security as bandit activity threatens agriculture and local trade in the area.
The coordinated reaction by troops under Operation FANSAN YAMMA demonstrates the military’s renewed determination to restore normalcy to impacted communities in Kwara and bordering states.
