Troops of Operation FANSAN YAMMA have rescued a 50-year-old farmer who was kidnapped during an attack on farmers in Dutsen Maru community, Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

The victim, identified as Mallam Ibrahim Suleiman, was freed after troops moved in following the attack on farmers working on their farms. The rescue was first reported on Friday, October 16, 2026, in a post on X by security analyst Bakatsine and was picked up by other platforms, including Zagazola Makama.

Reports say troops mobilised after a distress call and moved to cut off the suspected attackers as they tried to withdraw from the area. During the operation, soldiers recovered three motorcycles and a donkey that belonged to the affected farmers. Motorcycles and livestock are vital tools for many rural farming households in the North-West, which makes their loss a heavy blow even apart from the abductions.

The military has not said how many farmers were taken in the attack. Reports indicate that other farmers who went missing during the incident are still unaccounted for. Troops have remained in the community, combing the surrounding areas for them and guarding residents against fresh attacks.

There has been no official word on arrests or on the number of attackers involved.

The rescue comes as Operation FANSAN YAMMA, the Joint Task Force North West, continues a series of operations against armed groups across Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto and Kebbi states.

In recent weeks, troops have reported the rescue of dozens of kidnap victims in the region, including 23 abducted civilians freed near Wuya town in Zamfara’s Anka Local Government Area in early September. Even so, attacks and abductions in rural Zamfara communities continue to disrupt farming and threaten livelihoods, particularly in the harvest season.