Troops of the Nigerian Army under Operation UDO KA (OPUK) have rescued 14 persons kidnapped by bandits during a clearance operation at Orokam Forest, bordering Udenu LGA of Enugu State and Ogbadigbo in Benue State.
A military source told Newsmen on Saturday that the victims were abducted while returning from a burial over the weekend.
He said the victims were freed on Friday after troops and a vigilance group’s personnel stormed the hideout, acting on credible intelligence.
The source revealed that the kidnappers opened fire as the team approached, but were overpowered by the superior firepower of the troops, forcing them to flee and abandon their captives.
He said preliminary findings showed that the victims were taken from two communities, Ezimo Agu in Udenu LGA of Enugu State and Orokam in Ogbadigbo LGA of Benue, and were held in different locations within the thick forest.
According to him, the rescued victims have been handed over to the Divisional Police Officer, Udenu Division, for profiling and reunification with their families.
Army spokesperson, Lt Col Appolonia Anele who confirmed the report in a statement at the weekend, said that the rescue operation was carried out within the Orokam Forest corridor linking Udenu LGA of Enugu State and Ogbadigbo LGA of Benue State.
The operation was triggered by actionable intelligence from vigilant community sources.Acting swiftly, troops working in concert with local vigilante mounted a deliberate assault on a suspected kidnap hideout concealed deep in the forest. On contact, the criminals unleashed gunfire, prompting a fierce engagement.
The joint force’s superior firepower, tactical manoeuvre and relentless advance forced the kidnappers to break contact and flee, abandoning the abductees.
The rescued victims were seized over the weekend while returning from a burial and were being held in dispersed clusters across the forest. Intelligence further indicated that the victims were abducted from two separate communities: Ezimo Agu in Udenu LGA of Enugu State and Orokam in Ogbadigbo LGA of Benue State.
All rescued persons have been formally handed over to the Divisional Police Officer, Udenu Division, for proper profiling and subsequent reunification with their families.
Lt Col Anele reiterated that Nigerian Army troops would continue to maintain aggressive battlespace dominance across the theatre of operations general area, reaffirming the Nigerian Army’s unwavering resolve to neutralise all threats and uphold peace and security throughout the South East.
