Nigeria’s air force freed 76 kidnap victims, including women and children, during a precision strike on a bandit hideout in northwest Katsina State, the state’s internal security ministry said on Saturday.
The operation hit Pauwa Hill in Kankara Local Government Area as part of a manhunt for a gang leader known as Babaro, who has been linked to last week’s mosque attack in Malumfashi, the ministry said.
One child died in the rescue. Authorities gave no further details on casualties among the captives or the gunmen. The air force did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Armed gangs have plagued rural communities across northwest Nigeria for years, and officials said the strike was a step toward dismantling their networks.
