Joint security forces have rescued 21 persons abducted on the Alloma–Ejule–Itobe road in Kogi, after a coordinated sweep of the Egume and Ochaja forests in Dekina Local Government Area of the state.
The troops of the 12 Brigade, Nigerian Army, carried out the operation in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services, local hunters and vigilante groups.
In a statement signed by Lt. Hassan Abdullahi, the Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 12 Brigade, the military said the rescue followed credible intelligence on a mass abduction of road users in the area.
“Acting on credible intelligence, troops mobilised from Headquarters of the 21 Battalion and, together with other security agencies, local hunters and vigilantes, conducted a coordinated search of the adjoining forests,” the military said.
It explained that during the operation, the joint team located and freed all 21 victims, comprising eight males and 13 females, from hideouts within the Egume and Ochaja forest areas.
The army said one of the victims sustained a gunshot wound during the rescue and was immediately evacuated to a medical facility for treatment.
The army said the remaining victims were currently in military custody, pending formal handover to appropriate authorities.
The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, commended the troops and all partners involved in the operation for their courage and cooperation that led to the successful rescue.
He also urged members of the public to remain vigilant and to provide timely and credible information to security agencies to support ongoing efforts to combat kidnapping and other forms of criminality.
