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Nigerian Troops Recover 9 Victims Months After Gunmen Abducted 23 from Kogi Orphanage
The Nigerian army on May 7 announced the rescue of seven children and two women taken during a gunmen attack on an Islamic orphanage in Lokoja, Kogi State. Authorities said 23 pupils were abducted on April 26 from the illegally operating facility, with 15 rescued immediately. No group has claimed responsibility for the assault in an isolated area of the state capital.
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Nigerian troops rescued seven children and two women abducted last month from an Islamic orphanage in Kogi State, the country’s army said on Wednesday. The army announced the rescue on May 7, 2026. Troops intercepted and recovered the victims within a forest area in the state after gunmen attacked the orphanage on April 26.
Authorities in Kogi state said the gunmen attacked an Islamic orphanage that was operating illegally and abducted 23 pupils in an isolated area of Lokoja, capital of Kogi State. Fifteen of those abducted were immediately rescued. The rescued victims comprised five boys, two girls, and two adult females, army spokesman Hassan Abdullahi said in a statement.
The two adult females are believed to be the wives of the proprietor of the orphanage. Hassan Abdullahi is the army spokesman who issued the statement about the rescue. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the April 26 attack.
Armed groups attack schools and abduct students because they are seen as strategic in drawing attention and exacting huge ransoms, according to analysts. Several hundred students have been kidnapped across Nigeria. Abc News reported the details of both the initial assault and the army’s recovery operation in the north-central region of Nigeria.
