The Nigerian troops operating under Operation Hadarin Daji, have rescued two teachers and five students abducted on Thursday from Federal Government College Yauri, the Director Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu said in a statement on Friday.
According to him, the rescue by the troops who have been on a hot pursuit of the kidnappers and bandits, came after a fierce exchange of fire with the criminals.
Nwachukwu however stated that a female student was found dead as a result exhaustion.
“The rescue followed an initial encounter with the abductors in the early hours of today 18 June 2021 after trailing the kidnappers from Yawuri through Riyao to Sombo community, where the kidnappers who had split into two groups fled, with one group conveying the abducted children, while the second group conveyed rustled cattle.
“The land troops in conjunction with elements of the Nigerian Air Force, who provided close air support during the rescue mission intercepted the two groups at about 2.30 am and engaged them in a fire fight leading to the successful rescue of the teachers and students. The troops also recovered 800 cattle rustled by the bandits.
“The gallant troops are still on the heels of the kidnappers in order to rescue the remaining abductees still in captivity.
“Sadly, a casualty was recorded during the exchange. A female student was found to have given up the ghost as a result of exhaustion. The rescued teachers and students will be handed over to the Kebbi state government,” the statement reads.
