Six hostages, including two infants, have been freed by Nigerian troops after their captors abandoned them in Katsina State.

Personnel of the 17 Brigade, operating under Sector 2 of Operation FANSAN YAMMA, found the victims on June 29, 2026, at Unguwan Doka in Faskari LGA. The military said the discovery came after intensified strikes on terrorist hideouts in the area, forcing the gunmen to flee.

Those rescued are Mrs. Umaima Isiaku, 30; Amina Isiaku, 25; Fatima Saidu, 22; Huzaima Nasiru, 16; and two toddlers, Usman Surajo, 1, and Dauda Isiaku, 18 months.

Preliminary accounts from the victims show they were taken on March 11, 2026, while traveling on the Tsafe–Bilbis Road in Zamfara’s Tsafe LGA. All six are from Bilbis village and spent over three months in the bush before troops closed in.

Security officials said the women and children are receiving medical and psychosocial support. Plans are also in place to return them to their families in Bilbis.

The military described the operation as part of Operation FANSAN YAMMA’s wider push to dismantle bandit networks and restore safety across the North-West.

Source: Zagazola Makama, Security Sources