FACT-CHECK: NIGERIAN ARMY, NOT POLICE, CONDUCTED SUCCESSFUL RESCUE OF ABUJA KIDNAPPED VICTIMS
In a detailed fact-checking exercise, the Zagazola Makama has ascertained that recent reports claiming the involvement of the Nigeria Police Force in the rescue of kidnapped victims in Bwari are inaccurate. The operation, which took place on January 20, was exclusively carried out by the Nigerian Army’s 197 Special Forces Battalion, contradicting the police’s narrative of events.
Troops involved in the operation have provided a comprehensive account backed with pictorial evidence embedded with coordinate data of the rescue mission near Gurara Dam in Kachia LGA, which was based on intelligence received at 2200 hours (10pm)
Zagazola authoritatively learnt that the troops swiftly responded and located 12 individuals – three adult females, two female children, and seven male children – who had been left by their captors. The army’s intervention was prompt and precise, with the military personnel dominating the area and ensuring the safety of the rescued parties.
Furthermore, the report from the army indicates that the troops encountered an ambush by suspected bandits while returning with the rescued individuals. Despite the sudden attack, the soldiers managed to suppress the threat without incurring any casualties among both the rescue team and the victims.