Joint security forces in Kwara State have rescued nine people abducted by suspected terrorists and killed three bandits during an intelligence-driven operation in the southern part of the state.
The operation was carried out around the Obbo-Aiyegunle, Ejiu-Ora and Osi axis of Ekiti Local Government Area, an area close to the borders with Ekiti and Niger states. The team comprised Kwara State Forest Guards, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), local hunters and vigilantes.
According to security sources, the victims had been abducted from Eju community and were being moved through the bush towards Niger State when the security team intercepted their captors. One of the rescued victims, Umaru Muazu, said armed men suddenly appeared and took him and his son at gunpoint.
A member of the Kwara Forest Guards, Owolabi Adebayo, said the security team had been conducting intelligence-led bush combing when they encountered the terrorists. Three of the attackers were killed during the confrontation, while nine abducted persons were brought to safety. One of the rescued victims sustained injuries and is receiving treatment.
Meanwhile, the DSS has taken further legal action against five suspected members of the Ansaru terrorist group over their alleged involvement in the May 2026 abduction of pupils and teachers from a school in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The five defendants were arraigned in Abuja on fresh terrorism-related charges connected to the school abduction and the killings of two victims. The development comes shortly after three men linked to the Oriire kidnapping were sentenced to life imprisonment by a Federal High Court. Prosecutors had linked the men to Darul Salam, a group associated with Ansaru.
The Oriire case followed the May 15 attack in which 46 pupils, students and teachers were abducted. A major multi-agency operation subsequently rescued the hostages in July, with the Federal Government saying the operation involved the military, police, DSS, intelligence agencies and local security groups.
The latest operations in Kwara and the fresh terrorism proceedings underscore the continuing pressure on security agencies to disrupt kidnapping networks, protect vulnerable communities and bring those behind major abductions to justice.
