Troops of 12 Brigade, Nigerian Army, under 2 Division, in collaboration with personnel of the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services (DSS), local hunters and the Vigilante Group of Nigeria, have rescued 21 kidnapped victims from forests between Egume and Ochaja in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The victims, comprising eight males and 13 females, were rescued on Monday following a coordinated search-and-rescue operation launched after the mass abduction of road users along the Alloma, Ejule and Itobe road axis.
The Nigerian Army confirmed the rescue in a statement signed by Hassan Abdullahi, Lieutenant and Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 12 Brigade Nigerian Army, on Monday.
According to the Army, the operation was triggered by credible intelligence on the whereabouts of the abducted victims.
The joint operation involved troops of 12 Brigade, personnel of other collaborating security agencies, local hunters and vigilantes from Dekina Local Government Area.
The security team mobilised from the 21 Battalion Headquarters and moved into the surrounding forest areas in search of the victims.
The Army said the operation eventually led to the successful location and rescue of all 21 victims within the Egume and Ochaja forest stretch.
“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 came after the Brigade had earlier reported the mass kidnapping of road users along the Alloma, Ejule and Itobe road axis, an area where criminals have repeatedly exploited adjoining forests to abduct travellers.
However, the operation was not without injury, as one of the male victims sustained a gunshot wound to the leg during the ordeal.
The Army said the injured victim was immediately evacuated to the 21 Battalion Medical Reception Station, where he was taken for medical attention.
The remaining 20 rescued victims were taken to the 21 Battalion Headquarters and are also receiving necessary attention, according to the military.
The Army said further measures were being put in place to facilitate the safe reunification of the rescued victims 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 he said contributed to the successful rescue operation.
He assured residents and road users within the Brigade’s Area of Responsibility that the military, in collaboration with other security agencies, would sustain aggressive search-and-rescue operations aimed at protecting lives and securing the road network.
The Army also urged residents and members of the public to remain vigilant and provide timely and credible information that could assist security agencies in tracking kidnappers and other criminals operating in the area.
“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.
Meanwhile, details emerging from the community indicate that the latest incident involved several residents who were reportedly intercepted by suspected bandits and taken into the surrounding forest.
Among those identified by sources were Tunde, Stephen and two Hausa residents. The four, according to the sources, were travelling towards 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 Nigerian Army personnel had been deployed to the area following the abduction and had commenced a search-and-rescue operation to locate and free the victims.
The subsequent joint operation by the Army, police, DSS, local hunters and vigilantes eventually resulted in the rescue of the 21 kidnapped persons from the forest.
The development highlights the persistent security challenges confronting communities and travellers along parts of Kogi State’s road network, particularly locations surrounded by expansive forests that have been used as hideouts by kidnappers and other criminal elements.
The involvement of conventional security agencies alongside local hunters and vigilante groups also underscored the importance of coordinated intelligence gathering and community participation in efforts to combat kidnapping in difficult forest terrain.
The rescued victims remain under the care of the authorities as necessary procedures are completed before their eventual reunification with their families and relevant authorities.