Troops of 12 Brigade under 2 Division Nigerian Army, in conjunction with personnel of the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services, local hunters and Vigilante Group of Nigeria, have rescued 21 kidnapped victims in a joint search and rescue operation within the Egume and Ochaja forest stretch of Kogi State.
The victims, comprising eight males and 13 females, were rescued on Monday, following a coordinated operation launched after the mass kidnapping of road users along the Alloma, Ejule and Itobe road axis.
The Nigerian Army disclosed this in a statement signed by Hassan Abdullahi, Lieutenant and Acting Assistant Director Army Public Relations, 12 Brigade Nigerian Army, on Monday.
According to the statement, the operation followed credible information received by the security agencies on the whereabouts of the kidnapped victims.
It said the joint team comprised troops of 12 Brigade, personnel of collaborating security agencies, local hunters and vigilantes from Dekina Local Government Area.
The team mobilised from the 21 Battalion Headquarters and commenced a coordinated search operation within the surrounding forest areas.
“During the operation, the joint team successfully located and rescued all 21 kidnapped victims, comprising 8 males and 13 females, within the Egume and Ochaja forest stretch,” the statement said.
The rescue operation, according to the Army, was conducted after the Brigade had earlier reported the mass abduction of road users along the Alloma, Ejule and Itobe road axis.
However, the operation was not without injury, as one of the male victims sustained a gunshot wound to the leg.
The army said the injured victim was “immediately evacuated to the 21 Battalion Medical Reception Station for medical attention.”
The 20 other rescued victims are also currently receiving attention at the 21 Battalion Headquarters, according to the statement.
It added that further measures were being taken to facilitate the victims’ safe reunification with their families and the appropriate authorities.
The Commander, 12 Brigade Nigerian Army, commended the troops and all collaborating security personnel for their courage, determination and effective coordination which led to the successful rescue of the victims.
He further assured members of the public that the Brigade, in collaboration with other security agencies, would continue to sustain aggressive search and rescue operations aimed at protecting lives and ensuring the safety of road users within its Area of Responsibility
The Army also urged residents and other members of the public to remain vigilant and assist security agencies by providing timely and credible information that could help in the fight against kidnapping and other forms of criminality.
“The Nigerian Army also urges members of the public to remain vigilant and provide timely and credible information to security agencies to support ongoing efforts to combat kidnapping and other forms of criminality,” the statement added.
The latest rescue underscores the continued security challenges along parts of the road network in Kogi State, particularly areas where kidnappers exploit surrounding forests to abduct travellers and road users.
The operation involved multiple security and community-based groups, including the Nigerian Army, police, DSS, local hunters and vigilantes, reflecting a coordinated approach to searching the forest areas and locating the victims.
The rescued victims are expected to be reunited with their families and the relevant authorities after the completion of necessary procedures
The victims were identified as Tunde, Stephen, and two Hausa residents. According to sources, the four residents were on their way to a river known as Liberia in Oke-Ere when the suspected bandits intercepted them and whisked them away to an unknown destination.
A local platform, Egba Mekun Parrot, quoting a source familiar with the incident, reported that personnel of the Nigerian Army had since been deployed to the area and had launched a search-and-rescue operation aimed at securing the release of the abducted victims.
