Army rescues abducted officer, civilian after 10-day search 

Troops of the Nigerian Army have rescued a kidnapped senior military officer, Lieutenant Colonel Ofor Amobi, and a civilian, Ikechukwu Onwuanra, after a 10-day joint search-and-rescue operation in Enugu State.

This was contained in a military operational report made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Abuja.

The military said the victims were rescued in the early hours of Friday, following sustained pressure on their abductors.

The military said troops of Sector 1 of Operation UDO KA, comprising personnel of the 82 Division Garrison, 103 Battalion (Reinforced), 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 2am 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 States 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.

𝕤𝕖𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖/𝕨𝕒𝕥𝕔𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕧𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕠 𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖