Army Saves Nine More Kidnap Victims in Kogi

Troops from the Nigerian Army have rescued nine more people who were kidnapped along the Ajaokuta-Itobe road in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State.

The Nigerian Army shared on its official social media that the victims were freed after soldiers from Patrol Base Itobe chased the kidnappers to the outskirts of Adumu in Dekina Local Government Area. They engaged the criminals in a gun battle.

This incident happened when the kidnappers ambushed commuters on the road, taking several passengers into the nearby bush.

When the troops arrived, they found an abandoned Toyota Hiace bus and a Toyota Sienna. The passengers were missing.

The soldiers then followed the path taken by the fleeing kidnappers and made contact with them close to Adumu. In the gun battle that followed, the troops overpowered the criminals. This forced the kidnappers to leave the captives behind and run into the bush with suspected gunshot wounds.

The nine rescued victims included two elderly men, two elderly women, four adult males, and an infant. They were taken to safety and handed over to the Itobe Area Command of the police for further action and to reunite them with their families.

The army mentioned that troops are still searching the area for other victims and to catch the kidnappers who escaped.

This is the second major rescue operation reported in the Ofu-Dekina area in just two days. On Monday, the army said a team made up of soldiers, naval officers, police, local vigilantes, and hunters rescued 16 people who were abducted from the Ojuwo-Ajengo-Memarebo and Ojiwo-Itobe roads in Ofu Local Government Area.

The army stated that the 16 victims, which included six adult males, six adult females, and four children, were abandoned by their abductors after security forces engaged them in a gunfight near Adumu.

During that operation, one hunter was killed and a police officer was injured.

The latest event took place along the same route where security forces have stepped up efforts because of repeated attacks on commuters. On 9 August, the Kogi Police Command also reported rescuing 15 kidnap victims after a gun battle with their abductors along the Itobe-Anyigba Highway in Ofu Local Government Area.

The police said this incident occurred around 4 p.m. between Ojuwo Ajengo and Mamerebo, which they marked as a kidnapping hotspot.

These reports show the security problems along the road network connecting Ofu, Dekina, and other parts of Kogi. Suspected kidnappers have been using nearby forests to abduct travelers and escape from security forces.

The army urged residents to keep giving useful information to security agencies to help in the fight against criminals in the area.