That's according to a security source who said the army's Kaduna-based One Division was leading the operation and will, quote, "soon have the bandits in their sights."
The soldiers are backed by local police, the intelligence agency and the air force, the source added, as well as the Kaduna state vigilance service.
It's a vigilante group that knows the local terrain.
The Nigerian army did not respond to requests for comment.
Parents say they're waiting for answers from local authorities following the kidnapping last Thursday (March 7) in the town of Kuriga.
Such mass abductions were first carried out by jihadist group Boko Haram a decade ago.
But the tactic has since been adopted by armed gangs seeking ransom.
Families and communities find themselves forced to pool their resources, and sell prized possessions such as cattle and land, to free their children.
Security analysts say President Bola Tinubu has yet to lay out a clear policy on how he intends to make Nigeria safer.
He took office last May promising to tackle widespread insecurity.
Lagos-based consultancy SBM Intelligence says that since then 4,500 people have been kidnapped throughout Nigeria.
