The Nigerian Army has announced the successful rescue of the remaining kidnapped victims of the Daarul-Kitab Islamic Orphanage in Kogi State, alongside the interception of a suspected terrorist ammunition courier allegedly transporting hundreds of rounds of ammunition concealed inside a bag of maize.
The operations, carried out under Operation TIGER PAW II, were conducted on May 6, 2026, in Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi State.
This was disclosed in a statement released on Thursday by Lieutenant Hassan Abdullahi, Acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations for the 12 Brigade of the Nigerian Army.
According to the Army, troops engaged in sustained search-and-rescue operations successfully tracked and recovered the remaining abducted victims from the Agbaja Forest area after weeks of coordinated intelligence and tactical pressure on criminal elements operating within the region.
The military said the rescued victims included five boys, two girls, and two adult women believed to be wives of the proprietor of the orphanage.
The victims were immediately evacuated to the 12 Brigade Medical Centre where they received urgent medical treatment and first aid.
Military authorities confirmed that all rescued victims are currently in stable condition.
“In a major breakthrough under Operation TIGER PAW II, troops successfully rescued the remaining kidnapped victims from the Daarul-Kitab Islamic Orphanage following sustained search and rescue efforts,” the statement read.
“Acting on credible intelligence and maintaining persistent operational pressure, troops of the Brigade’s Blocking Force intercepted and recovered the victims within the Agbaja Forest general area in Lokoja Local Government Area.”
The rescue operation follows the abduction incident that occurred in April when armed gunmen stormed the Dahallukitab Group of School, an Islamic orphanage facility located in Zariagi along the Kabba Junction axis of Lokoja.
During the attack, the wife of the orphanage proprietor and 23 pupils were abducted in a late-night raid that sparked public outrage and heightened security concerns across the state.
Earlier, Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, had confirmed that security operatives rescued 15 of the abducted children shortly after the incident while efforts continued to secure the release of the remaining victims.
The Kogi State Government also revealed that the affected institution was allegedly operating illegally in a remote forested environment without proper registration or the knowledge of relevant authorities and security agencies.
Meanwhile, in another operation conducted on the same day, Nigerian Army troops reportedly intercepted a suspected terrorist logistics courier along the Obajana–Lokoja road.
The suspect, identified as Yahaya Umar, was allegedly caught transporting 500 rounds of 7.62mm NATO belted ammunition hidden inside a sack of maize.
According to military authorities, preliminary investigations identified Umar as a suspected logistics operative allegedly linked to criminal and terrorist networks operating across the North-Central region.
The Army further disclosed that the suspect allegedly confessed during interrogation that the ammunition was handed over to him inside the Obajana Forest and was being transported to Dikko Junction in Suleja, Niger State, for delivery to another suspected terrorist operative.
“The suspect is currently in custody and undergoing further interrogation to aid ongoing operations aimed at dismantling the criminal network and apprehending other members of the syndicate,” the statement added.
The Nigerian Army stated that the coordinated operations demonstrate its intensified commitment toward combating terrorism, kidnapping, arms trafficking, and other violent crimes threatening communities across the country.
Military authorities also urged members of the public to continue supporting security agencies with timely and credible intelligence capable of strengthening ongoing counter-terrorism operations and safeguarding lives and property across Nigeria.