Army says abductors abandoned victims in Adankolo Forest amid sustained ground and air raids on criminal hideouts

Troops of the Nigerian Army rescued five persons kidnapped by armed men in Kogi State on Tuesday, after their captors fled ongoing military operations targeting criminal camps in Adankolo Forest. The rescue, which took place along the Oshokoshoko-Adankolo route, was confirmed by Lieutenant Hassan Abdullahi, acting assistant director of army public relations for 12 Brigade.

According to Abdullahi, the victims—four men and one woman—were intercepted by troops from Forward Operating Base Oshokoshoko during a blocking operation. The kidnappers reportedly abandoned the captives while escaping coordinated ground and air offensives launched against their hideouts.

“Vigilant troops intercepted five kidnapped victims who had been abandoned by the terrorists while fleeing from the intense military pressure mounted on their camps,” Abdullahi said in a written statement issued Wednesday. The statement added that recent air interdiction missions were part of broader efforts to disrupt kidnapping networks and restrict the movement of armed groups operating within Kogi and neighbouring states in North-Central Nigeria.

The rescue comes amid heightened concern over rising cases of abduction across several parts of the country, with security agencies intensifying patrols and surveillance in forested border areas commonly used as hideouts by criminal gangs. The Nigerian Army has reiterated its commitment to sustaining offensive actions until peace is restored in affected communities.

Further details regarding the health status or identities of the rescued victims were not disclosed as at press time. The military urged residents to continue sharing timely information on suspicious activities to support ongoing security efforts.

Source: https://guardian.ng/news/nigeria/metro/troops-rescue-five-kidnap-victims-in-kogi/