Troops of the Nigerian Army, alongside the Navy, police, local vigilantes, and hunters, have rescued 16 people abducted by suspected kidnappers in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State. The victims were freed after security forces engaged their captors in a gun battle, forcing the kidnappers to abandon them and escape into the forest.
Rescue Operation Details
According to a statement by Olaniyi Anele, Acting Director of Army Public Relations, the victims were abducted on Sunday, 9 August, when armed men attacked commuters along the Ojuwo-Ajengo-Memarebo and Ojiwo-Itobe roads in Ofu LGA. The army received intelligence that the victims had been moved towards Adumu in Dekina LGA, prompting troops of the 21 Battalion and personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship Lugard to launch a search-and-rescue operation.
The joint team encountered the fleeing kidnappers and engaged them in a gun battle. “The criminals abandoned all their captives and escaped into the surrounding forest with gunshot wounds,” Ms Anele said. The rescued victims included six adult males, six adult females, and four children, who are now undergoing documentation and medical assessment before being reunited with their families.
Casualties and Ongoing Security Operations
The operation, however, came at a cost: one local hunter was killed during the gunfight, while a police officer sustained injuries and is receiving medical treatment. The rescue is part of renewed security operations across Kogi following a series of kidnapping incidents in the state.
On 9 August, the Kogi Police Command reported rescuing 15 kidnap victims after a gun battle along the Itobe-Anyigba Highway in Ofu LGA. That incident occurred around 4 p.m. between Ojuwo Ajengo and Mamerebo, an area the police described as a kidnapping flashpoint. The latest army account places the number of victims rescued in this operation at 16.
Broader Security Efforts and Community Response
The development follows intensified operations in other parts of the state. On 8 August, the Kogi Police Command said it had deployed a joint team to forests and suspected criminal hideouts around the Okene-Ajaokuta axis following a kidnapping incident along the Okene-Auchi Road. That operation involved the police’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Violent Crime Response Unit, mobile police personnel, and the Nigerian Army, with support from the Edo State Police Command along the Kogi-Edo border.
The repeated attacks have raised concerns about criminal groups exploiting forested and border areas as hideouts and escape routes. The army attributed the latest rescue to intelligence sharing and cooperation between security agencies and local security stakeholders, urging residents to remain vigilant and provide timely information on suspicious activities.
This operation comes less than a month after security agencies conducted several rescue operations involving abducted residents and students in Kogi. On 16 July, the Kogi State Government announced the rescue of a secondary school principal, a NECO official, and two students who were abducted during an attack on an examination centre in Olowa, Dekina LGA. The government said the victims were rescued after security forces saturated the surrounding forest and mounted sustained pressure on the kidnappers.
The renewed operations underscore the continuing security challenge in Kogi, particularly along major highways and forest corridors where armed groups have repeatedly attacked travellers and communities. The latest rescue brings the number of victims freed in recent operations to 31, highlighting the persistent threat and the ongoing efforts to combat it.
