Troops of Operation FANSAN YAMMA have rescued the wife, mother and two children of the abducted Chairman of Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara State, Nura Umar Abdullahi, following a fierce gun battle with armed terrorists.
The military, however, said the attackers escaped with the council chairman despite a coordinated pursuit by security operatives.
The development was disclosed in a statement on Friday by the Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force (North West), Operation FANSAN YAMMA, Lt. Col. Aliyu Danja.
According to the military, the terrorists stormed the chairman’s residence in Bungudu in the early hours of Friday, overpowered his police escorts and local vigilantes before abducting him alongside members of his family.
The statement said troops swiftly responded after hearing gunshots and engaged the fleeing attackers in a gun duel.
It noted that the security intervention forced the terrorists to abandon five members of the chairman’s family, including his wife, mother, two children and another relative, who were safely rescued.
“The troops responded immediately and moved to the scene where they engaged the terrorists in a fierce exchange of fire,” the statement said.
It added that the terrorists fled into nearby bushes with the council chairman.
The military further disclosed that three members of the chairman’s security team, comprising two police officers and a local vigilante, were killed while resisting the attack.
A civilian also lost his life during the incident, while the chairman’s elder brother, Bello Umar, sustained injuries.
Following the attack, the military said it had launched a joint search-and-rescue operation involving troops of Operation FANSAN YAMMA, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services and local vigilantes.
It said security operatives were conducting coordinated operations around suspected terrorist hideouts to secure the chairman’s release and apprehend those behind the attack.
“The Theatre Command has deployed all available resources in the ongoing operation and remains in close coordination with participating security agencies,” the statement added.
The command assured the Zamfara State Government and residents that every lawful operational measure was being taken to rescue the abducted chairman and bring the perpetrators to justice.
It also urged residents to remain calm, go about their lawful activities and provide credible intelligence through established security channels to support ongoing operations.
The attack occurred on Thursday night in the Zango area of Bungudu town, less than 20 kilometres from Gusau, the Zamfara State capital, where heavily armed gunmen invaded the chairman’s residence before abducting him after a gun battle with security personnel.
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