The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) has handed over 128 kidnapped victims rescued from bandits’ camps in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State to the state government.

Naijaonpoint reports that the National Coordinator of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre, Maj. Gen. Adamu Laka, disclosed this in Abuja on Tuesday while presenting the victims to the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

Laka explained that the victims were rescued in two separate operations earlier in August.

According to him, the first group of 42 victims, made up of 14 males, 27 females, and a toddler, were rescued on August 14.

The second group of 88 individuals, comprising 34 males and 54 females, were also freed on August 19.

The counter-terrorism chief also revealed that not all the victims made it through the ordeal.

“Unfortunately, among the second group, we lost one of the children due to illness, likely from the fatigue they suffered while in captivity,” Laka said.

He added that one of the rescued women gave birth prematurely shortly after the operation.

“The baby is currently receiving medical attention,” Laka noted.

Victims Get Medical and Psychological Care

Laka explained that since their rescue, the victims have been in the custody of ONSA, where they received medical treatment, psychological support, and rehabilitation services.

“With their recovery process ongoing, we are now handing them over to the Zamfara State Government for reintegration with their families and communities,” he said.

Naijaonpoint reports that the Zamfara State Government is expected to oversee the safe return of the victims to their families and communities, even as security agencies intensify operations against bandits across the state.

The handover comes amid growing pressure on authorities to sustain military operations in Zamfara, which has long been one of the epicentres of banditry and mass abductions in the North-West.