Defence authorities say 610 abducted victims were rescued in August as troops intensify operations against terrorists and criminals
The Nigerian military has rescued 21 kidnapped victims, including 15 members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), from a forest between Egume and Ochaja in Kogi State.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, disclosed this on Monday while giving an update on military operations across the country.
Onoja said the rescued victims comprised eight males and 13 females and were found within the Egume-Ochaja forest stretch under the 2 Division area of operation.
According to him, the 15 NYSC members were among those kidnapped last week while travelling from Abuja to Bayelsa State.
The rescue comes as the military continues operations against terrorists and criminal elements in different parts of the country, particularly following the recent abduction of worshippers and residents in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.
Onoja said the Armed Forces had continued to work with other security agencies and state government institutions through intelligence sharing and the identification of areas requiring security intervention.
He cited the rescue of 308 abducted persons, mostly women and children, from the Kainji Lake National Park on August 5 as evidence of the security forces’ continued efforts to locate and rescue victims.
The Defence Media Operations director said troops were maintaining pressure on terrorists operating around the Kainji Lake National Park and other identified routes to prevent further incursions and create conditions for displaced residents to safely return to their communities.
He assured residents of Borgu and neighbouring communities that military operations would continue until the threats posed by terrorists and other criminal elements were sufficiently degraded.
Onoja also appealed to families of abducted persons to remain calm and avoid actions that could compromise ongoing rescue operations.
He stressed that credible information from affected communities remained critical to the military’s efforts to locate and safely recover kidnapped victims.
The Director said the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, remained committed to rescuing kidnapped Nigerians, protecting civilians and facilitating the return of internally displaced persons to their communities.
He added that the CDS had directed troops to sustain their operations with determination, professionalism and courage in the fight against terrorism and other forms of criminality.
332 Terrorists, Criminals Neutralised In August
Giving an overview of military operations in August, Onoja disclosed that troops neutralised more than 332 terrorists and criminals, arrested 373 others and rescued 610 kidnapped victims during the month.
He said 201 insurgents also surrendered to the military, while troops recovered 88 arms and 2,077 rounds of ammunition during the operations.
The military also recovered 686,800 litres of stolen crude oil products and destroyed 21 illegal refining sites as part of efforts to tackle oil theft and economic sabotage.
Onoja described the August figures as a significant improvement in the military’s operational effectiveness, attributing the gains to intensified kinetic and non-kinetic operations, improved intelligence gathering and stronger collaboration among security agencies.
He further disclosed that the number of terrorists who surrendered increased from 11 in June to 57 in July and 201 in August, describing the trend as an indication of mounting pressure on terrorist groups.
The Defence Media Operations director said the Chief of Defence Staff commended troops for their sacrifices in rescuing abducted citizens, neutralising terrorists and armed criminals, dismantling criminal networks, disrupting illegal oil bunkering and protecting critical national assets.