Security forces rescue 16 kidnap victims in Kogi
Security Forces Rescue 16 Kidnapped Individuals in Kogi State
KOGI STATE, Nigeria — Security forces successfully rescued 16 individuals, including four children, during an operation aimed at apprehending suspected bandits in Kogi State.
The victims were kidnapped on August 9 when armed assailants targeted commuters on the Ojuwo-Ajengo-Memarebo and Ojiwo-Itobe roads in the Ofu Local Government Area.
Intelligence sources informed security analyst Zagazola Makama that at approximately 11:30 a.m. on August 10, security operatives received tips indicating that the abductees were sighted near the Adumu community in the Dekina Local Government Area.
In response, troops from the 21 Battalion and personnel from the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Lugard, alongside local police, vigilantes, and hybrid forces, launched a search-and-rescue operation.
During the engagement, security forces located the suspected kidnappers, resulting in a gun battle. The pressure from the operation compelled the assailants to abandon their captives and flee into the surrounding area.
One member of the hybrid forces was killed, and a police officer sustained injuries in the confrontation.
The rescued individuals included six men, six women, and four children. They have since been handed over to the Nigeria Police at the Ajaokuta Division for further processing.
Security forces are continuing their efforts to apprehend the escapees.
