Five Kidnap Victims Rescued as Kogi Praises Military Pressure on Criminal Gangs

In an unprecedented string of military successes, Kogi State has secured the rescue of five kidnap victims as troops of the 12 Brigade, Nigerian Army, intensify their onslaught against terrorists and bandits hiding in the state’s forests.

Commissioner for Information Kingsley Femi Fanwo said in a statement Wednesday that the victims were abandoned by their captors who fled due to “overwhelming military pressure” from coordinated assaults. He added that preliminary accounts from the rescued persons showed terrorists dispersed in panic as troops advanced on their hideouts.

The latest rescue follows recent operations in Bunu District, Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area, where security forces said they neutralized terrorists, destroyed camps and freed other captives around Iluke Bunu and adjoining communities. Since those operations, Fanwo said, coordinated air and ground missions have continued, leading to more rescues and the killing of additional criminal elements.

According to the statement, some of the victims were abducted from states outside Kogi. The government said this underscores Kogi’s strategic role as a gateway between northern and southern Nigeria and its efforts to block the movement of terrorist networks across state lines.

Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo’s administration credited the results to intelligence gathering, logistics support and inter-agency collaboration involving the Nigerian Army, Air Force, Police, DSS, NSCDC, vigilantes and local hunters. The government also cited recent security measures including restrictions on commercial motorcycles in Bunu hinterlands, closure of routes used by criminals and regulation of fuel sales in vulnerable areas.

The Kogi State Ministry of Health has been directed to provide medical screening, treatment and psychosocial support for the rescued victims until they are certified fit to reunite with families, Commissioner for Health Dr. Austin Ojotule said.

Fanwo said the government remains committed to dismantling criminal enclaves and urged residents to provide timely information to security agencies. He also acknowledged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu for support to security operations nationwide.

Security forces have intensified operations across Kogi in recent months as part of a broader offensive against banditry and terrorism in North-Central Nigeria.