The Nigerian military has rescued 21 people abducted in Kogi State, including 15 members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), in a major breakthrough in the search for victims taken hostage last week.
The victims comprising of eight males and 13 females were rescued from the Egume-Ochaja forest stretch in the 2 Division area of operation, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Michael Onoja, said on Monday.
The NYSC members were among passengers abducted while travelling between Abuja and Bayelsa State. Their rescue follows an earlier operation by security forces that led to the recovery of 11 victims from a separate kidnapping incident along the Aloma-Egane Expressway in Kogi.
Onoja said troops had intensified operations in areas affected by recent abductions, working with other security agencies and state authorities to identify vulnerable locations and improve intelligence gathering.
The military has also expanded operations beyond Kogi, particularly in Niger State, where recent attacks have heightened concerns over the safety of rural communities.
According to Onoja, troops rescued 610 kidnapped victims across the country in August alone, while 332 terrorists and other criminals were killed and 373 suspects arrested.
The operations also resulted in the recovery of 88 firearms and 2,077 rounds of ammunition, while 201 terrorists surrendered to the military.
The military said its recent gains reflected increased intelligence gathering, cooperation among security agencies and a combination of kinetic and non-kinetic operations.
Onoja urged relatives of kidnapped persons to remain calm and provide credible information to security agencies, warning against actions that could compromise ongoing rescue operations.
He said the military would continue operations aimed at rescuing remaining victims, protecting civilians and degrading terrorist and criminal networks.
