In a determined push to secure the safe return of dozens of schoolchildren abducted by armed terrorists in recent weeks, the Nigerian Army has significantly escalated search-and-rescue missions across Niger, Kebbi, and Zamfara states under the ongoing Operation FANSAN YAMMA (OPFY). Senior military sources at Army Headquarters in Abuja confirmed to journalists that troops have adopted a multi-pronged approach combining aerial surveillance, ground pursuit teams, and targeted strikes against terrorist enclaves in the North-West and North-Central geopolitical zones.
The renewed intensity comes in the wake of two separate mass abductions that have once again exposed the fragility of security in Nigeria’s rural north. On November 17, 2025, gunmen stormed the Government Girls Secondary School (GGSS) in Maga, a community in Kebbi State, abducting an undisclosed number of female students. Days earlier, terrorists raided St Mary’s School in Papiri, located in the remote Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, taking away several pupils and staff members. These incidents mirror a distressing pattern seen in previous years, including the infamous Chibok and Dapchi abductions, underscoring the persistent threat posed by bandit groups and jihadist remnants operating in the vast forests straddling multiple state boundaries.
According to a credible source speaking on condition of anonymity from Army Headquarters, troops attached to the 22 Brigade in Niger State reacted with remarkable swiftness to the Papiri school attack. Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft were immediately deployed to track the terrorists’ escape routes through the dense vegetation and difficult terrain that characterise the region. Ground troops, working in coordination with the air assets, have since widened their search radius to include the Audu Fari axis in neighbouring Borgu Local Government Area. The military believes the abductors may be attempting to move the captives deeper into the Kainji Lake National Park or across state lines into Kebbi or Zamfara, where thick forests provide natural cover.
Further north in Mariga Local Government Area of Niger State, soldiers manning a Forward Operating Base (FOB) at Gulbin Boka demonstrated the proactive posture now defining Operation FANSAN YAMMA. Acting on real-time intelligence, the troops laid a deadly ambush on a group of terrorists who were attempting to rendezvous with their accomplices near the village of Magaman Daji. The firefight that ensued left several terrorists neutralised, while the survivors fled into the bush, abandoning four motorcycles that had been used for mobility. The recovered motorcycles are now undergoing forensic examination to trace ownership and possible links to larger criminal syndicates.
On the Kebbi-Zamfara axis, where the hunt for the GGSS Maga students has entered its second week, the Nigerian Army executed one of its most significant operations in recent days. A combined strike force drawn from multiple units descended on the notorious Gando and Sunke Forests that straddle the border between Kebbi and Zamfara states, as well as parts of Talata Mafara Local Government Area. In a series of coordinated assaults, the troops overran and completely destroyed three well-established terrorist camps. The intensity of the military onslaught forced the occupants to abandon their positions in disarray, leaving behind weapons, food supplies, personal belongings, and operational documents.
Among the items recovered during the sweep was an international passport belonging to a female resident of Bagega, a mining community in Zamfara State that has suffered repeated terrorist incursions. Military sources described the discovery as “significant”, suggesting that the terrorists may have been holding civilian captives or using the document for illicit travel arrangements. The passport has been handed over to the appropriate authorities for further investigation and possible reunion with its owner.
The Army spokesman emphasised that these successes, recorded within the past 24 hours alone, are part of a broader strategic shift aimed not merely at containment but at the total dismantlement of terrorist infrastructure across the North-West and North-Central corridors. “Our troops remain highly motivated and resolute,” the source stated. “We will sustain the tempo of these operations until every single abducted child is brought back home safely and until the criminal networks that have terrorised our communities for years are completely crippled.”
While exact casualty figures on the terrorist side are often classified for operational reasons, the Army confirmed that no Nigerian soldier was lost in any of the engagements reported. The military also appealed to local communities to continue providing timely and accurate information, stressing that civilian cooperation remains indispensable in an environment where terrorists frequently blend with the population.
As night falls over the vast savannah and forest belts of northwestern Nigeria, ISR drones continue to circle overhead, ground patrols push deeper into previously inaccessible areas, and special forces units prepare for the next phase of what has become a race against time. For the families of the abducted children in Papiri and Maga, the Nigerian Army’s message is clear: the search will not stop, the pressure will not relent, and the terrorists will find no safe haven as long as Operation FANSAN YAMMA remains in full force.
The incidents serve as a grim reminder of the complex security challenges still facing Africa’s most populous nation, where porous borders, under-policed rural expanses, and the proliferation of small arms continue to empower non-state armed groups. Yet, in the determined actions of the troops on the ground and the unmistakable gains recorded in the last day alone, there is a palpable sense that the Nigerian military is writing a different chapter—one of resolve, precision, and an unwavering commitment to bringing the children home.
