The Operation Thunder Strike, has on Thursday morning, rescued students of Government Day Secondary School Gwagwada in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The students were said to have been kidnapped on October 3.
The troops in three different operations also killed four bandits, wounded many others and recovered arms and ammunitions all in Kaduna State.
The Deputy Director, Army Public Relations Officer, 1 Division Headquarters, Colonel Ezindu Idima on Friday disclosed that the troops who were on routine patrol in the general area in Chikun LGA received information from a reliable source that some bandits terrorizing the Abuja-Kaduna highway have attacked some students on their way to school and abducted them.
According to him, “Troops immediately swung into action and gave the bandits a hot chase. On sighting the troops, the bandits engaged them in a firefight but had to surrender to the superior firepower of the troops.
“Following the firefight , one of the bandits was neutralised while the rest scampered into different directions of the forest with gun shot wounds and all the students abducted by the bandits have been rescued safely and re-united with their families.”
Idima noted that items recovered from the bandits include one AK47 rifle with seven rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition and a pump action gun with ten cartridges.
He also assured that the troops are currently combing the entire forest in search of the bandits.
In a related development, troops also dealt decisively with the bandits in an ambush at Soho Gaya in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State at about 10 am Thursday morning.
Idima disclosed that during the ambush, two bandits were neutralized while one riffle was recovered.
“Additionally, at about 10:45am Thursday troops pursued bandits into one of the forests in Chukun Local Government Area of Kaduna State and during the pursuit, one of the bandits was neutralized while two AK 47 riffles, one pump action and three Magazines were recovered.”
He attributed the success recorded to have boosted up troops morale who expressed enthusiasm in sustaining the onslaught against the bandits and other criminal elements within the Division Area of Responsibility.
However, he conveyed the commendation of the General Officer Commanding 1 Division Nigerian Army, Major General Faruk Yahaya on the efforts of the troops and urged them to continue to pursue and neutralize bandits in 1 Division Area of Responsibility.
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