Troops rescue 14 kidnap victims in Edo forest operation
Troops of the 4 Brigade, Nigerian Army, under the 2 Division, have rescued 14 kidnapped victims following an operation along the Lagos-Benin Expressway in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State.
The rescue was carried out under Operation WABAIZIGAN after troops on routine patrol received intelligence about a kidnap incident at about 9:30 p.m. on Thursday.
According to the Nigerian Army, the troops immediately pursued the kidnappers along their escape route, forcing them to abandon 11 of the victims before fleeing into a nearby forest.
A follow-up clearance operation conducted on Friday led to the rescue of the remaining three victims, bringing the total number of rescued persons to 14.
The Army said all the victims underwent preliminary debriefing and medical checks, were confirmed to be in stable condition, and were reunited with their families or allowed to continue their journeys.
It added that efforts were ongoing to track down and arrest the fleeing kidnappers, stressing that the operation reflected the Army’s intelligence-driven approach to tackling kidnapping and other violent crimes in collaboration with other security agencies.
The Army urged members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies, describing public cooperation as essential to sustaining security operations across the state.
Meanwhile, the Commander of the 4 Brigade, Brig.-Gen. Ahmed Balogun, commended the troops for their professionalism, resilience and courage during the operation. He reaffirmed the Brigade’s commitment to protecting lives and property in Edo State.
