JUST IN: MILITARY RESCUES 21 KIDNAP VICTIMS, INCLUDING 15 NYSC MEMBERS IN KOGI
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
The Nigerian military has rescued 21 kidnapped victims, including 15 members of the National Youth Service Corps, in Kogi State.
The victims, comprising eight males and 13 females, were rescued from the Egume-Ochaja forest stretch in the 2 Division area of operation.
The Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Michael Onoja, disclosed this on Monday while giving an update on military operations across the country.
Onoja said the 15 NYSC members were among those abducted last week while travelling from Abuja to Bayelsa State.
“The Armed Forces of Nigeria is also happy to announce that a total of 21 victims, comprising eight males and 13 females, 15 of them being National Youth Service Corps members, have just been rescued within the Egume and Ochaja forest stretch in 2 Division area of operation,” he said.
The rescue comes as the military intensifies operations against terrorists and criminal elements, particularly in Niger State, where residents were recently abducted in Borgu Local Government Area.
Onoja said the military was working with other security agencies and state institutions through intelligence sharing and coordinated identification of areas requiring security intervention.
He cited the August 5 rescue of 308 abducted persons, predominantly women and children, from the Kainji Lake National Park as evidence of the security forces’ ability to locate and rescue victims.
According to him, troops are maintaining pressure on terrorists operating within and around the Kainji Lake National Park and other identified corridors to prevent further incursions and create conditions for displaced residents to return to their communities.
He assured residents of Borgu and neighbouring communities that military operations would continue until the security threats in the area were sufficiently degraded.
“The Armed Forces, therefore, reassures the people of Borgu and their communities that military operations against terrorists and criminals will be sustained in the local government area and its environs to ensure the safety of the community,” he said.
The General also appealed to families of abducted persons to remain calm and avoid actions that could compromise ongoing rescue efforts, stressing that credible information remained vital to successful operations.
Onoja said the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, remained committed to rescuing kidnapped victims, protecting civilians and facilitating the return of internally displaced persons to their communities.
Giving an account of military operations in August, Onoja said troops neutralised more than 332 terrorists and criminals, arrested 373 others and rescued 610 kidnapped victims.
He added that 201 insurgents surrendered to the military, while 88 arms and 2,077 rounds of ammunition were recovered during the month.
The military also recovered 686,800 litres of stolen crude oil products and destroyed 21 illegal refining sites in operations targeting oil theft and economic sabotage.
Onoja attributed the reported gains to intensified kinetic and non-kinetic operations, improved intelligence gathering and enhanced inter-agency cooperation.
He further disclosed that the number of terrorists who surrendered increased from 11 in June to 57 in July and 201 in August, describing the trend as an indication of growing pressure on terrorist groups.
He said the Chief of Defence Staff commended troops for their sacrifices in rescuing abducted citizens, neutralising terrorists and armed criminals, dismantling criminal networks, disrupting illegal oil bunkering and protecting critical national assets.
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