Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have rescued an abducted mother and her infant child while intensifying operations against insurgents across parts of Nigeria’s North-East region.
The rescue was recorded during ongoing clearance missions conducted under the military’s Operation Desert Sanity V/Siege, which has continued to target terrorist hideouts and disrupt insurgent activities across the theatre.
Military sources disclosed that 20-year-old Maryam Muhammad and her one-year, four-month-old son, Bello Muhammad, regained their freedom after escaping from a terrorist camp located within the Mandara Mountains.
The victims were reportedly abducted during an attack on Ngoshe community on March 3, 2026. According to security officials, sustained military offensives mounted pressure on insurgent positions, creating an opportunity for the mother and child to flee captivity.
After their rescue, both victims received preliminary medical care before being reunited with their family members through community leaders.
In another operation conducted around Wulgo, Gumsari and Hausari, troops, working alongside members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), carried out coordinated clearance missions that led to the discovery of facilities allegedly used by terrorists.
Items recovered from the locations included medical supplies, blood transfusion materials, antibiotics, rounds of 7.62mm ammunition and a military-style uniform believed to belong to a senior insurgent commander.
The operation also resulted in the neutralisation of one terrorist, while troops recorded no casualties.
Meanwhile, continued military pressure has reportedly triggered fresh surrenders and escapes from insurgent enclaves scattered across the Mandara Mountains and surrounding border communities.
A 50-year-old woman identified as Ghwa’a Biwa surrendered to troops of the 192 Battalion in the Gwoza axis after escaping from a terrorist camp. She reportedly cited difficult living conditions and the impact of sustained military operations as reasons for abandoning the enclave.
Similarly, 19-year-old Binta Umaru and her two-year-old daughter, Hafsat Ibrahim, escaped from another insurgent hideout and surrendered to troops along the Gwoza-Limankara route.
Military authorities said all individuals who surrendered have been properly screened, documented and are undergoing profiling in line with established procedures.
In a statement issued by the Headquarters Joint Task Force (North-East), Operation Hadin Kai, and signed by the Media Information Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, the military said ongoing operations continue to weaken insurgent structures across the region.
The statement noted that Operation Desert Sanity V/Siege has sustained momentum through successful rescue missions, neutralisation of terrorists and disruption of logistics networks, with troops maintaining pressure on insurgent strongholds across the North-East.
