Soldiers and vigilantes recorded a major victory on Friday against rural banditry, as the remaining kidnap victim from the midnight raid on Efagi village, Edu Local Government Area, has been successfully rescued.

Alhaji Ndako Effagi was freed early Friday following a combined, intensive operation by the Nigerian Army and local vigilante groups, bringing an end to the ordeal that began in the early hours of last night.

The successful rescue of Alhaji Effagi means both him and his wife, Nna’ama Effagi, are now safely out of the hands of the bandits, according to Nupeko-Tv Lafiagi on Friday.

His wife, Nna’ama, had been rescued earlier by the Army shortly after their initial deployment.

The couple, identified by local sources as Alhaji Ndako Effagi and Nna’ama Effagi, were abducted around 1-2 a.m, when armed bandits stormed their village in the Lafiagi Emirate, firing repeatedly and injuring a local vigilante member.

“The husband has been rescued also by the Army and vigilantes, according to security sources,” a resident confirmed, highlighting the effective synergy between the military and local security outfits.

The rescue operation for the husband, which had been ongoing since morning, culminated in his release and is expected to boost the morale of local communities increasingly threatened by kidnapping and banditry.

The swift and decisive action taken by the security forces and vigilantes in Effagi has been widely commended as a vital step towards restoring confidence and stability in the troubled region.