The Special Forces of the (271) Nigerian Air Force Detachment, Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State, conducted a rescue operation in the early hours of December 17, 2022, which resulted in the release of 7 Chinese expats who had been abducted and held captive by terrorists. The rescued Chinese captives are thought to have been abducted since June 2022 while working at a mine in Ajata-Aboki, Gurmana Ward of Shiroro Local Government, Niger State.
The Combat Search and Rescue operation, which involved 35 Special Forces and was carried out under cover of night at the general areas of Kanfani Doka and Gwaska, according to Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, Director of Public Relations & Information, Nigerian Air Force, caused the terrorists to abandon their enclaves, weapons, and kidnapped Chinese victims while fleeing for their lives because of the special forces’ superior firepower.
After the successful surgeries, the 7 Chinese casualties were taken to the 271 NAF Detachment Medical Centre for examination, where two of them were stable. The seven casualties were then transported by air to the NAF Base Medical Hospital in Kaduna for additional medical examinations.
Since then, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, the chief of the air staff, has commended the Special Forces in Birnin Gwari, the commander of the 271 NAF Detachment, and his men for their perseverance and dedication in the face of danger as they advance into the last terrorist strongholds in Kaduna State and the Northwest in general.
The Chief of Air Staff stated that he was “extremely proud of what our Special Forces in Birnin Gwari and elsewhere have continued to achieve” and that she was “sure that we will soon clear all areas of terrorists and their operations.”
Additionally, Air Marshal Amao urged Nigerians to support the Armed Forces of Nigeria and other security agencies by continuing to provide information that will help identify criminal elements and those who support them and help lead to their arrest.
