KATSINA, NIGERIA — Troops of the Nigerian Army have raided a notorious terrorist hideout in Katsina State, rescuing four kidnapped victims after a fierce gun battle.
The successful raid was executed under Operation CLEAN SWEEP III, a newly launched military offensive aimed at dismantling the criminal network of wanted bandit kingpin, Kachalla Muhammadu Fulani.
The operation, which took place on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, targeted a terrorist enclave in Fafu Village, located along the Matazu-Musawa axis.
The Raid on Fafu Village
The ground assault was preceded by an intensive aerial intelligence mission. The Air Component of Operation FANSAN YAMMA conducted Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) flights, pinpointing the exact coordinates of the criminal camp.
With the coordinates secured, ground troops from the 17 Brigade Strike Group/Quick Response Force, heavily reinforced by the 8 Division Special Forces, advanced on the enclave.
Upon arrival, troops engaged the bandits in a heavy shootout. Buckling under the military’s superior firepower, the terrorists abandoned their camp and fled into the surrounding forests, leaving their captives behind.
The Rescued Victims
The Katsina State Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs has identified the four rescued hostages as:
- Musa Yakuba (62 years old)
- Alhaji Sa’adu Dayi (68 years old)
- Mukhtar Danja (36 years old)
- Salisu Danja (50 years old)
The victims had spent over two months in captivity, having been abducted on April 14, 2026, from Sabon Sara along the Matazu-Karaduwa Road.
A Grim Connection: Military investigations revealed that these four men were held in the exact same camp where the late retired Major General Rabe Abubakar—former Director of Defence Information—and his wife, Amina, were detained. Major General Abubakar tragically died from medical complications while in captivity just days before this raid.
Medical Evacuation and Next Steps
Following their rescue, the four men were moved to the Forward Operating Base in Matazu. They were received by Major General Bamidele Koughna, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 8 Division and Sector 2 Commander of Operation FANSAN YAMMA.
Because some of the victims suffered gunshot wounds inflicted by the bandits during their long captivity, they received emergency first aid at the base before being transferred to the Federal Teaching Hospital Katsina for specialized medical care.
The Katsina State Government, under Governor Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, has highly commended the bravery of the troops. In tandem with the military push, the state has tightened its security logistics, imposing a strict ban on the commercial transportation and storage of petroleum products in jerrycans to cut off the fuel supply lines used by the bandits.
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Military authorities maintain that Operation CLEAN SWEEP III will remain active in the Matazu Local Government Area, with troops continuing to track Kachalla Muhammadu Fulani until his network is completely neutralized.
