Three newly graduated Nigerian Army personnel have reportedly been abducted by suspected bandits in Zamfara State while travelling to Kebbi State after completing their military training in Kaduna.
The soldiers were said to have finished their passing-out exercise at the 26 Nigerian Army formation in Kaduna on July 2, 2026, and were expected to be transported to Zuru, Kebbi State. However, according to a report by SaharaReporters, they were allegedly dropped off in Gusau, Zamfara State, and instructed to continue the remaining part of their journey on their own the following day.
Sources familiar with the incident said the soldiers boarded a commercial vehicle from a motor park in Gusau alongside other passengers heading to Kebbi. While passing through the 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.
The kidnappers were initially said to have demanded a ransom of N50 million before later reducing the demand to N5 million for each captive.
Families of the abducted soldiers alleged that they promptly informed the Nigerian Army about the incident but claimed that more than 13 days after the abduction, no rescue operation or official response had been communicated to them.
A security analyst also confirmed the incident in a video shared on social media, saying he had spoken directly with the victims’ families. According to him, six soldiers were travelling after the passing-out parade, but three managed to escape during the attack. However, only one of the escapees has reportedly been accounted for, while the whereabouts of the other two remain unknown.
The analyst described the incident as disturbing, noting that the soldiers had only recently completed their training and were travelling home before reporting for active duty. He also said the families were financially incapable of raising the ransom demanded by the kidnappers.
As of the time of filing this report, the Nigerian Army had not publicly commented on the incident or the allegations made by the families.
