By Stephen Simon
Troops Rescue Five Kidnap Victims as Terrorists Flee Kogi Forest Operations
The Nigerian Army has rescued five kidnapped persons in Kogi State after their captors reportedly abandoned them while fleeing from sustained military operations targeting terrorist hideouts in the state.
The rescue was disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations, 12 Brigade, Lieutenant Hassan Abdullahi.
According to the Army, the victims regained their freedom following intensified military offensives, including coordinated air and ground operations against criminal camps located in forested areas of Kogi State.
Abdullahi said troops of the Forward Operating Base, Oshokoshoko, were deployed on a blocking mission along the Oshokoshoko-Adankolo route within the Adankolo Forest after an air interdiction mission targeted a known terrorist enclave in the area.
He explained that during the operation, the troops encountered five kidnapped victims who had been abandoned by their captors while attempting to escape from the advancing military forces.
According to preliminary findings, the kidnappers fled their camps following sustained military pressure and ongoing clearance operations aimed at dismantling criminal strongholds within the forest.
“The victims were discovered after their abductors abandoned them and fled in different directions to evade capture as troops closed in on their location,” Abdullahi stated.
The Army spokesman noted that the rescue underscores the effectiveness of the ongoing operations against criminal elements operating in Kogi State and adjoining areas.
He added that security forces remain committed to denying terrorists and kidnappers freedom of movement while intensifying efforts to dismantle their camps and rescue victims held in captivity.
The rescued victims were subsequently secured by the troops and are expected to receive necessary medical attention and further debriefing.
Military authorities assured residents that operations against terrorist and kidnapping networks would continue until criminal activities are significantly reduced across the state and surrounding regions.
Kogi State has witnessed a series of security operations in recent months as military and other security agencies intensify efforts to combat kidnapping, banditry and other violent crimes within forest corridors used by criminal groups.
