The Nigerian government on Tuesday handed over 128 rescued victims of mass abductions in Zamfara State. The National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, declared there will be “no safe haven for terrorists.”
Zig Diaries | Defence
Date: Tuesday, 26 August 2025
Time: 16:35 WAT
Location: 📍 Abuja, Nigeria
The handover followed two separate rescue operations in Kaura-Namoda Local
Government earlier in August.
The event took place at the Counter Terrorism Centre in Abuja under the Office of the NSA.
He praised the courage of the armed forces, police, intelligence agencies and local communities who made the rescue possible.
Mallam Ribadu while handing over the victims said military and security forces
will sustain pressure until kidnappers are dismantled and justice is served.
Ribadu said military and security forces will not relent until the perpetrators are dismantled and justice served.
“We will hunt
them. We will find them. And we will bring them to justice,”
He equally warned the public against politicising victims’ ordeal.
“Let us not exploit this tragedy. Our people deserve collective resolve, not division,”.
The National Coordinator of the
Counter Terrorism Centre, Major General Adamu Laka, presented the victims. He
said the first group of 42 was freed on 14 August, comprising 14 men, 27 women
and a toddler.
A second group of 88 was rescued on
19 August. It included 34 men and 54 women.
“Sadly, one child
did not survive, weakened by illness and fatigue in captivity,” Laka said. “One woman also gave birth prematurely, and her baby is now in an
incubator.”
The victims received medical,
psychological and rehabilitation support under the Office of the NSA before
being handed over to Zamfara authorities for reintegration.
Fact-Check
& Background Context
The rescue figure of 128 victims was confirmed by the NSA and the NCTC
coordinator.
Operations occurred in Kaura-Namoda LGA, Zamfara State on 14 and 19 August 2025.
Victim categories and numbers (men, women, child)
align with official NCTC briefing.
Mass
abductions have plagued Zamfara and neighbouring states for over a decade,
driven by armed banditry and terrorism networks.
Nigeria’s
current counterterrorism approach under the NSA combines kinetic operations with non-kinetic measures, including deradicalisation
and victim support.
The
NCTC has increasingly taken the lead in victim reintegration, with trauma care
and community healing programmes to reduce relapse into cycles of violence.
This latest rescue builds on earlier hostages freed in July and reflects Abuja’s push to restore security in the North-West, a region long destabilised by armed groups exploiting porous borders, weak policing, and poverty.
🏷️ Tags: Nigeria, Zamfara, Kidnapping, Counter Terrorism, Nuhu Ribadu, Adamu Laka, NSA, Security, Defence, Terrorism, Victims
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