The Defence Headquarters has described how troops’ efforts led to the rescue of Dr Ganiya Popoola, abducted over 10 months ago in Kaduna State.
A statement by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, said Dr Ganiya Nurudeen Popoola, along with her husband, Squadron Leader Nurudeen Abiodun Popoola, and a teenager, Master Folaranmi Abdul Mughiy, on 27 September 2023.
He said the trio were abducted from their home (Doctors’ Quarters) at the National Eye Centre in Kaduna, adding that following the abduction, troops subsequently rescued the husband on 8 March 2024.
General Buba said troops’ kinetic operations resulted in the rescue of several other hostages in terrorists’ captivity in the North Centre Theatre of operations.
However, “the operations were mostly futile with regards to the above-abducted persons. All the same, at about 1700hrs of 30 October 2024, troops, though non-kinetic efforts, secured the release of the abducted Dr Ganiyat Popoola and the teenager mentioned earlier,”.
Buba stated that the details of their release by the terrorists remain classified due to ongoing operations.
“It is significant to state that their release is indicative of overtures by several terrorist leaders and their combatants to surrender to troops,” he said.
He recalled that similar situations were going on in the North East, and therefore, not uncommon in war situations and a welcomed development.
He said, “Overall, more details about the development will follow in due course. Nevertheless, these terrorists have a window of opportunity to surrender or be killed on the battlefield. On the whole, ending the insecurity plaguing our nation requires a collective effort of everyone and not just military action,”
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