Soldiers rescue kidnap victim, recover AK-47 in Kogi

Troops of the Nigerian Army have rescued a kidnap victim and recovered an AK-47 rifle during an operation in Kogi State.

The Nigerian Army disclosed this in a statement shared on its official social media handle on Monday, saying the 28-year-old victim escaped from his abductors and sought help from troops operating from Patrol Base Obajana.

According to the statement, the victim told the soldiers during preliminary debriefing that he was abducted from the Abaji area of the Federal Capital Territory about five weeks ago and had been held at a location within the area.

Acting on information provided by the victim, the troops moved to the location where he said he had been held.

The army said the suspected kidnappers fled after sighting the troops, abandoning an AK-47 rifle in the area.

“The criminals, on sighting the troops, abandoned their position and fled into the surrounding terrain,” the statement said.

The rescued victim was evacuated to a military medical facility where he is receiving medical attention, according to the army.

The operation comes amid continued security operations against kidnappers and other criminal groups in Kogi State, particularly around forested areas and major transport corridors.

On 10 August, the army said its troops, working with the police, Navy, local vigilantes and hunters, rescued 16 people abducted along roads in Ofu Local Government Area.

The victims had been abducted on 9 August when armed men attacked commuters along the Ojuwo-Ajengo-Memarebo and Ojiwo-Itobe roads.

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The Army said the kidnappers abandoned the victims and fled into the forest after security forces engaged them in a gun battle.

One local hunter was killed during that operation, while a police officer was injured.

In another operation reported on 17 June, troops of 12 Brigade, Nigerian Army, rescued five kidnap victims who had been abandoned by fleeing terrorists in Adankolo Forest after sustained military operations against criminal camps in the area.

The latest operation adds to a series of military operations targeting criminal hideouts and kidnapping networks operating across Kogi and neighbouring areas.

The army said troops were exploiting the latest development to track the fleeing suspects and dismantle their network.

It urged residents to continue providing security agencies with timely and credible information to support ongoing operations.