By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
Troops of the 12 Brigade, Nigerian Army, under the 2 Division, have rescued five kidnap victims during ongoing counter-terrorism operations in forested areas of Kogi State.The Commanding Officer of the 126 Battalion, Lt. Col. Francis Nwoffiah, disclosed this during a press briefing on Wednesday at the 12 Brigade Headquarters in Lokoja.
According to Nwoffiah, the rescue occurred on June 17 when troops from the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Oshokoshoko conducted a blocking operation along the Oshokoshoko–Adankolo route within the Adankolo Forest.
He said the ground operation followed air strikes carried out by helicopter assets supporting security operations in the Agbede Forest area, including locations identified as bandit hideouts in Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area.
The army officer stated that the pressure from the combined air and ground operations forced the kidnappers to abandon some of their captives while attempting to flee.The rescued victims include John Luna, Farouq Abdullahi and Eunice Fredrick, among others. Speaking at the 12 Brigade Medical Centre in Lokoja, the victims said they were abducted on June 1 while travelling on a commercial bus from Abuja to Lagos.
According to the victims, they spent 17 days in captivity before security operations created an opportunity for their escape.The Kogi State Ministry of Health confirmed that the victims are receiving medical care, with the state government covering treatment costs until they are reunited with their families.
In a statement, the Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, described the rescue as a significant success resulting from coordinated military and security operations across the state. He commended the Nigerian Army, Air Force, Police, DSS, NSCDC, local vigilantes and hunters for their roles in the operation.
