Troops of the Nigerian Army have rescued a kidnapped senior military officer, Lt. Col. Ofor Amobi, and a civilian, Mr. Ikechukwu Onwuanra, after a 10-day search-and-rescue operation in Enugu State.
The victims were rescued in the early hours of Friday after troops mounted sustained pressure on their abductors, according to an operational report made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Saturday.
The operation was conducted by troops of Sector 1, Operation UDO KA, comprising personnel of the 82 Division Garrison, 103 Battalion (Reinforced), the Nigerian Navy Special Boat Service and the 197 Special Forces Battalion.
Led by the Commander, 82 Division Garrison, the troops conducted intensive searches across forests and communities in Inyi, Awlaw and Akpugo-Eze in Oji River Local Government Area.
The breakthrough came at about 2:00 a.m. on Friday, after the Divisional Police Officer of Inyi Division provided intelligence on the captives’ whereabouts.
Troops immediately launched a fighting patrol to the location and found the two victims abandoned at the edge of a forest in Inyi.
Both victims had sustained gunshot wounds and were subsequently evacuated to the 82 Division Medical Hospital for treatment and medical evaluation.
Preliminary interrogation showed that the victims had been blindfolded and moved to an undisclosed location before being abandoned in a forest along the Enugu-Anambra border.
“The victims attributed their rescue to the sustained pressure mounted by the joint troops, which denied the kidnappers freedom of movement and compelled them to abandon their captives,” the military said.
The latest operation adds to a series of security operations by Operation UDO KA, the military’s joint task force in the South-East. The operation has continued to conduct intelligence-led operations against separatist elements and other criminal groups in the region.
In July alone, troops operating under the task force have reported arrests and other security operations in Enugu, while the military has also reported the rescue of kidnapped victims in other parts of the South-East. Nationwide, the Defence Headquarters said troops rescued more than 40 kidnapped victims during coordinated operations between July 10 and July 16.
The Army has repeatedly stressed the importance of intelligence from local communities in its operations, with previous rescue missions in the South-East also relying on information provided by residents and other security agencies.
The military said further details on the latest operation would be released later.
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