Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have rescued two girls who reportedly escaped from a terrorist enclave in the Mandara Mountains and reunited them with their community in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.

The development was disclosed in a report by Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency and security expert covering the Lake Chad region.

According to the report, the girls were rescued at about 7:00am on July 2, 2026, after troops of the 82 Division Task Force Battalion conducting a routine patrol around Ngoshe spotted them near Armuda Bridge.

Makama reported that the patrol team carefully approached the girls before confirming that they were civilians in distress.

The rescued victims were identified as 15year-old Bintu Adamu and 11year-old Sadiya Jummai.

The report added that troops later cleared the surrounding area for about 400 metres to ensure there was no immediate threat before returning safely to their base.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the girls were allegedly abducted from Ngoshe community by terrorists and taken to an enclave in the Chinene area of the Mandara Mountains.

Makama said the victims seized an opportunity to escape from captivity before encountering the military patrol.

The troops administered first aid to the girls before handing them over to the Ngoshe community leader, Mallam Bulama Kunda, for reunification with their families.

“The latest rescue underscores the sustained efforts of troops operating in the Mandara Mountains to locate abductees, dismantle terrorist hideouts and restore security in communities affected by insurgency across the North-East,” the report stated.

Fresh violence has erupted in parts of Kwande Local Government Area, where suspected armed herders reportedly killed four persons and left 10 others injured in separate attacks that occurred in two days.
Residents said the violence began on Thursday when armed assailants invaded farmlands at Anyiase in Moon Council Ward, opening fire on farmers who were working on their fields.

Giving an eyewitness account, a community leader and survivor, Terzungwe Ajir, said the attack occurred at about 3:20 p.m., leaving two farmers, identified as Asongo Nagwebe and Tarzan Agbahegh dead at the scene.
According to him, 10 other victims sustained gunshot injuries and were evacuated to a medical facility in Jato-Aka for treatment.

Ajir explained that one of the injured later died while being transferred to Makurdi for specialised medical care, increasing the number of fatalities from the attack to three.

The community leader further disclosed that the attackers struck again over the weekend, allegedly intercepting a commercial vehicle at Ikyogen Junction as residents attempted to flee the troubled communities.

He said the gunmen opened fire on the vehicle, killing one passenger instantly, while other occupants escaped by running into the surrounding bushes.

Ajir lamented that the latest assault had worsened the humanitarian situation in the area, with many residents abandoning their homes for fear of further attacks.

“Our people have continued to live in fear. These attacks have persisted, and many families have now fled to safer locations,” he said.

Efforts to get the reaction of the Chairman of Kwande Local Government Area, Vitalis Neji, were unsuccessful as calls to his mobile telephone were not answered before press time.

Also, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Benue State Police Command, DSP Udeme Edet, neither answered telephone calls nor responded to a text message seeking confirmation of the incidents as of the time this report was filed.

Four civilians have been killed and several houses razed after bandits attacked two communities and a hospital amid renewed communal violence between Fulani and Kamuku groups in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State.

A security expert, Zagazola Makama, made this known in a post on X, stressing that the attacks occurred on July 4 following recent hostilities between members of the two communities.

Zagazola said troops of the 45 Battalion deployed at the Forward Operating Base, FOB, Kagara conducted a fighting patrol to Baka Cin Hatsi and adjoining villages after receiving reports of the violence.

According to him, the troops confirmed that the attackers invaded Anguwan Gizo and Anguwan Karaya villages, where they killed four civilians and set several houses ablaze.

The assailants, he said also raided Asmau Hospital, where some displaced Fulani residents had sought refuge from the violence.

The security expert noted that after the attacks, troops dominated the affected communities to prevent further violence and reassure residents.

“The Rafi Local Government authorities have imposed a 12-hour curfew, from 7:00 p.m. to 6:30 a.m., to forestall reprisal attacks and restore calm in the area.

“Security forces would continue to maintain a strong presence while efforts are underway to identify and apprehend those responsible for the attacks,” he said.