Nigerian Military Rescues Hostages After Orphanage Kidnapping

(MENAFN) The Nigerian army has rescued several children and women who were abducted from an Islamic orphanage in central Nigeria, according to reports.

Military authorities said that seven children and two adult women were recovered more than a week after armed men stormed an orphanage in Lokoja, the capital of Kogi State. The attack reportedly took place on April 26 at an unregistered Islamic facility, where gunmen abducted 23 children along with several adults.

Security officials said that 15 of the children were freed shortly after the initial raid, while the remaining hostages were later located during a military search operation. Troops involved in the mission, operating under a security campaign in the region, intercepted and rescued the group in a forested area within Lokoja Local Government Area.

A military spokesperson stated that the rescued individuals included five boys, two girls, and two adult women identified as relatives connected to the orphanage’s management. They were transferred to a military medical facility for treatment, with officials reporting that all were in stable condition.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The incident is part of a broader pattern of insecurity in parts of Nigeria, where armed groups have carried out repeated kidnappings targeting schools, religious institutions, and rural communities in recent months. Similar attacks in other states have resulted in mass abductions, killings, and prolonged hostage situations.

Despite ongoing military operations and security deployments aimed at curbing such violence, authorities continue to report incidents involving armed groups, while pledging intensified efforts against criminal and militant networks operating in affected regions.

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