Nigeria, March 15 -- Troops of Operation WHIRL STROKE rescued five kidnapped people and recovered weapons and ammunition during an operation in the Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State.

Ahamd Zubairu, acting media information officer of the Joint Task Force, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday.

"The victims were identified as Babaji Muhammad, aged 40, who had spent ten days in captivity after being abducted along Chede-Takun Road; Sunday Yamusa, 45, held for one month and two weeks together with Annumba Obunde, 40, and Babangida Ibbi, 41, all abducted along Tor Donga Road; and Doofan Ahula, 54, held for one month and two days," he said.

"Troops have maintained offensive actions to deny criminal gangs freedom of action...