BY OUR CORRESPONDENT – In a daring highway rescue, troops of the Nigerian Army have rescued nine kidnapped commuters after engaging suspected kidnappers a fierce firefight along the Ajaokuta-Itobe Road in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
According to official military operational reports obtained by journalists in Abuja, the high-stakes rescue operation took place on Tuesday as the troops intercepted the criminal syndicate mid-transit, engaging them in a heavy gun battle before successfully securing the freedom of all nine hostages.
The report indicated that the gunmen had attacked commuters and abducted an unspecified number of passengers along the road before troops of 21 Battalion deployed at Patrol Base Itobe mobilised to the scene and found an abandoned Hiace bus and Toyota Sienna vehicle.
Exploiting the criminals’ withdrawal route, the troops made contact with and engaged the kidnapping gang around Adumu community in Dekina Local Government Area, forcing them to abandon the victims and flee into the surrounding areas.
Subsequently, the nine victims, comprising two elderly men, two elderly women, four men and an infant were rescued and handed over to the Police Area Command in Itobe for further action.
Meanwhile, as rescue operations continue behind the scenes, military sources hinted that specialized teams are actively working around the clock to locate and safely recover the remaining victims from the kidnappers’ den.
