Army rescues kidnapped senior officer, civilian in Enugu

Troops of the Nigerian Army have successfully rescued a kidnapped senior military officer, Lt.-Col. Ofor Amobi, alongside a civilian, Mr. Ikechukwu Onwuanra, after a 10-day coordinated search-and-rescue mission in Enugu State.

According to a military operational report released to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Saturday, the victims regained their freedom in the early hours of Friday.

The military attributed the successful rescue to sustained operational pressure mounted on the kidnappers throughout the operation, which ultimately forced the abductors to release the victims.

The military said troops of Sector 1 of 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, carried out the operation.

It said the troops, led by the Commander, 82 Division Garrison, conducted intensive searches across Inyi, Awlaw and Akpugo-Eze forests and communities in Oji River Local Government Area of Enugu State.

According to the report, troops received intelligence from the Divisional Police Officer of Inyi Division at about 2:00 a.m. on Friday on the whereabouts of the victims.

It said the troops immediately launched a fighting patrol to the location where the victims were found abandoned at the edge of a forest in Inyi.

The military said both victims had sustained gunshot wounds and were rescued before being evacuated to the 82 Division Medical Hospital for treatment and medical evaluation.

It added that preliminary interrogation revealed the victims had been blindfolded, transported to an unknown location and later abandoned within 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,” it said.

The military said further details on the operation would be made available later.

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