Troops of the 12 Brigade, Nigerian Army, in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services (DSS), local hunters and vigilante groups, have rescued 21 kidnapped victims from forest locations in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The victims were rescued on Monday during a coordinated search-and-rescue operation launched following reports of the mass abduction of road users along the Alloma–Ejule–Itobe road axis.
Acting on credible intelligence, the security forces mobilised from the headquarters of 21 Battalion and commenced an extensive search of adjoining forest areas where the abductors were believed to have taken their victims.
This was contained in a statement by the Acting Assistant Director Army Public Relations, Hassan Abdullahi.
According to the statement, the operation eventually led the troops to the Egume and Ochaja forest areas, where all 21 kidnapped victims were located and successfully rescued.
The rescued victims comprised eight males and 13 females.
However, one of the male victims sustained a gunshot wound during the incident.
He was immediately evacuated to a medical facility for urgent treatment.
The other rescued victims are currently being kept under the care of the troops, while arrangements are being made for their profiling and subsequent handover to the appropriate authorities for reunification with their families.
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The successful operation represents a major boost to ongoing efforts to tackle kidnapping along major roads and vulnerable communities in Kogi State, particularly through the deployment of coordinated intelligence and joint security operations.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, commended the troops and personnel of the participating security agencies, as well as local hunters and vigilantes, for their courage, cooperation and commitment which contributed to the successful rescue operation.
He urged members of the public to remain vigilant and continue to provide security agencies with timely and credible information on suspicious movements and criminal activities.
The Army Chief stressed that cooperation between security forces and local communities remains critical to disrupting kidnapping networks and other criminal elements operating in remote areas.
The latest rescue underscores the importance of sustained joint operations in protecting commuters and residents while denying kidnappers the freedom to operate in forest hideouts across the state.
The Nigerian Army and other security agencies are expected to sustain search and intelligence operations in the area to track down those responsible for the abduction and prevent further attacks along the affected routes.
