A gun battle between troops and suspected kidnappers in a remote part of Kaduna State has forced the criminals to abandon a two-year-old boy they had abducted alongside his mother.
The boy, identified as Jafaru Baba, was rescued at about 4pm on September 16, 2026, after troops acting on intelligence tracked the movement of the kidnappers and their victims to the Tayu High Grounds in Tayu Village, Sanga Local Government Area.
Security sources said the troops launched a search operation across the high grounds and adjoining areas in an effort to locate the abducted mother and her child.
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The operation reportedly turned into a confrontation when the troops encountered the suspected kidnappers, leading to an exchange of gunfire.
In the ensuing encounter, the kidnappers abandoned the two-year-old boy and fled into the surrounding bush.
The troops recovered Jafaru and subsequently handed him over to his father.
The security sources said the troops expended 17 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition during the encounter.
However, the boy’s mother remains in captivity, with security forces continuing efforts to locate and rescue her while tracking the fleeing kidnappers.
Search operations have also been intensified across the surrounding terrain to restrict the suspects’ movement and facilitate their arrest.
