The Nigerian Army says troops of the 4 Brigade, under Operation Wabaizigan, have rescued 14 kidnapped victims following a swift operation along the Lagos-Benin Expressway in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State, South-South Nigeria.
In a statement by the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 4 Brigade Nigerian Army, Captain Kennedy Anyanwu, the rescue followed a kidnap incident reported at about 9.30pm on Thursday, 30th of July.
Troops on routine patrol reportedly received credible intelligence and immediately pursued the kidnappers, forcing them to abandon 11 of their captives before escaping into a nearby forest.
The statement adds that the troops carried out a follow-up clearance operation on Friday, 31st of July, leading to the rescue of the remaining three victims and bringing the total number rescued to 14. It says that all the victims were medically assessed, confirmed to be in stable condition and reunited with their families or allowed to continue their journeys.
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According to the Army, efforts are ongoing to track down the fleeing kidnappers, while members of the public are urged to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies to support ongoing operations against criminal elements.
Commander of the 4 Brigade Nigerian Army, Brigadier-General Ahmed Balogun commended the troops for their professionalism, courage and resilience. He also reassured residents of Edo State and commuters along the Brigade’s area of operation of the Army’s continued commitment to protecting lives and property and sustaining operations against criminal activities.
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