Three newly passed-out Nigerian Army personnel have reportedly been kidnapped by terrorists suspected to be bandits in Zamfara State after they were allegedly abandoned by military authorities while travelling to their destination in Kebbi State.
The incident occurred on July 2, 2026, shortly after the soldiers completed their passing-out exercise at the 26 Nigerian Army (26 NA) formation in Kaduna State.
According to SaharaReporters, sources said the military was expected to transport the soldiers from Kaduna to Zuru in Kebbi State following the completion of their training.
However, instead of taking them to their final destination, the soldiers were allegedly dropped off in Gusau, Zamfara State, late in the day and instructed to continue the remainder of their journey on their own the following morning.
Sources familiar with the incident said the stranded soldiers, alongside other passengers travelling to Kebbi, boarded a commercial vehicle from a motor park in Gusau the next morning.
While travelling through Anka axis of Zamfara State, the vehicle was reportedly ambushed by heavily armed bandits, who abducted the occupants, including the three soldiers and the driver.
Initially, the kidnappers reportedly demanded N50 million ransom before later reducing the demand to N5 million for each captive.
Families of the abducted soldiers stated that despite notifying military authorities about the incident, no rescue operation or official response had been communicated to them more than 13 days after the abduction.
A security analyst also confirmed the incident in a video posted on social media, stating that he had spoken directly with the families of the kidnapped soldiers.
According to him, six soldiers were initially among those travelling after the passing-out parade, but three escaped during the attack.
He, however, said only one of the three escapees had been accounted for, while the whereabouts of the remaining two were still unknown.
“According to reports, because I have spoken with the families of these soldiers, this year they were given pass after they passed out from Kaduna,” he said.
“Normally, the Army was supposed to drop them in Zuru, Kebbi State. But they transported them only to Gusau in Zamfara State and dropped them there. It was already late, so they told everybody to find their way the following morning.”
He continued, “The next morning, the boys boarded a commercial vehicle from the Gusau motor park heading to Zuru. When they got near Anka, terrorists, otherwise known as bandits, attacked the vehicle and kidnapped everyone inside.
“Three soldiers escaped. But among those three, only one has been found. The whereabouts of the other two are still unknown.”
Speaking on the ransom demands, the analyst said the kidnappers initially demanded N50 million, but later revised the amount.
“At first, they demanded N50 million. Later, they reduced it to N5 million for each person,” he said.
He added that the families had contacted the Nigerian Army immediately after learning of the abduction but alleged that the military had yet to respond.
“I asked the families whether they had informed the military. They told me they had contacted the military about the incident, but the military has not responded and has not done anything about it.”
Pointing to photographs of the victims, he identified the three soldiers among those abducted.
“You see these three people I marked with arrows? They are the soldiers. One of them is even wearing his military uniform. These are the soldiers the bandits are demanding N5 million each for.”
He said the families were devastated and financially incapable of meeting the ransom demands.
“According to the families, they are crying because they don’t have the money. They don’t have anything. They cannot raise such an amount.”
Describing the development as disturbing, he added, “This is very sad and shameful. Bandits kidnapping military personnel—it keeps getting worse every day. Imagine soldiers who had just completed their training and were simply travelling home before beginning active service being kidnapped. They kidnapped them, including the driver.”
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