Rescues 15 kidnapped victims, recovers weapons
The Nigerian Army has arrested a wanted violent extremist and insurgent leader, Idris Idris, also known as Babawo Badoo, alongside 37 other criminal suspects during coordinated operations across the country.
The operations, according to the Army, also led to the rescue of 15 kidnapped victims, the neutralisation of two terrorists, and the recovery of assorted weapons, ammunition, and logistics items.
In a statement, the Army said Babawo Badoo was apprehended on October 20, 2025, by troops of Operation Enduring Peace at Lugere Village, Barkin Ladi Local Council, Plateau State. Acting on credible intelligence, troops arrested the high-profile suspect and recovered one AK-47 rifle, a magazine loaded with 10 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, a mobile phone, and N12,000.
The arrest, the Army noted, dealt a major blow to the network of violent extremists operating in the North-Central region.Troops of Sector 1, Operation Enduring Peace, in collaboration with the Police and the Civilian Joint Task Force, also raided a suspected criminal hideout at Saya Village, Bassa Local Council, Plateau State, arresting 19 suspects, who are now under investigation.
In the North East, troops of Operation Hadin Kai, working with the Department of State Services (DSS), arrested an ISWAP/JAS terrorist informant and ransom collector at the Customs IDP Camp in Jere Local Council, Borno State. Troops also ambushed and neutralised two terrorists at Ngirbuwa Village in Gujba Local Council, recovering one AK-47 rifle and three magazines.
Similarly, six suspected terrorist collaborators and logistics suppliers were arrested in Borno and Yobe states, with recovered items including 33 petrol-filled 25-litre jerrycans, food items, mobile phones, and identification cards of the Lake Chad Fishermen Association used to conceal their activities. Several kidnap victims were rescued in Kukawa Local Council, Borno State, following a series of air and ground offensives.
In the North Central and North West regions, troops of Operations Whirl Stroke and Enduring Peace intensified clearance operations across Benue, Nasarawa, and Kaduna states, arresting extremist informants and recovering locally fabricated weapons.
In the South-East, troops of the 34 Artillery Brigade, Imo State, apprehended a suspected IPOB/ESN member with a locally made pistol and live cartridges, while 7 Guards Battalion troops in the Federal Capital Territory intercepted five illegal immigrants from Chad, Cameroon, and Niger.
Troops also rescued four kidnapped victims in Edu Local Council, Kwara State; five in Dan Musa Local Council, Katsina State; and another during a swift operation in Barkin Ladi, Plateau State. In Tafawa Balewa, Bauchi State, troops rescued two injured civilians attacked by unidentified gunmen and evacuated them to a nearby hospital.
Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, commended the troops for their resilience, operational efficiency, and commitment to duty. He urged them to sustain the tempo in ongoing operations to rid the country of criminal elements.
The Army reaffirmed its commitment to creating a safer environment that would promote economic growth and agricultural productivity in line with the Federal Government’s drive for food security.
