Troops of Sector 1, Joint Task Force South East, Operation UDO KA (OPUK), have freed 14 kidnapped victims in a rapid raid within the Orokam Forest corridor linking Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State and Ogbadigbo Local Government Area of Benue State.
Vigilant community sources triggered the operation.
Troops working in concert with local vigilante mounted a deliberate assault on a suspected kidnap hideout concealed deep in the forest, a statement said.
The criminals unleashed gunfire, prompting a fierce engagement. The joint force’s superior firepower, tactical manoeuvre and relentless advance forced the kidnappers to break contact and flee, abandoning the abductees.
The rescued victims were kidnapped over the weekend while returning from a burial and were being held in dispersed clusters across the forest. Intelligence further indicated that the victims were abducted from two separate communities: Ezimo Agu in Udenu LGA of Enugu State and Orokam in Ogbadigbo LGA of Benue State.
All rescued persons have been formally handed over to the Divisional Police Officer, Udenu Division, for proper profiling and subsequent reunification with their families, the statement added.
The troops reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s unwavering resolve to neutralise all threats and uphold peace and security throughout the South East.
