A coordinated security operation in Kogi State has ended in the rescue of 21 kidnapped victims, including 15 NYSC members, after security personnel confronted their abductors in a forest hideout.
Four suspected kidnappers were killed during the operation, while a number of others reportedly escaped with gunshot injuries.
The victims were seized after armed men attacked vehicles travelling along the Itobe–Ajaokuta Highway in Kogi State.
The Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Naziru Kankarofi, said the attack occurred at about 5:00 p.m. as the NYSC members, who were travelling from Bayelsa State, entered the area.
People travelling in another vehicle were also caught up in the attack and taken hostage.
Rather than wait for the situation to escalate, security agencies immediately began planning a joint operation to locate the victims and dismantle the kidnappers’ camp.
Kankarofi said an emergency meeting was held between the military, police and DSS leadership, after which security personnel began gathering intelligence and searching possible locations.
Local hunters and vigilantes were also brought into the operation because of their knowledge of the difficult terrain.
The search eventually paid off when the security team traced the abductors to their camp.
According to the police commissioner, operatives reached the location at around 4:00 p.m. on Monday. A prolonged exchange of gunfire followed as the security personnel moved against the kidnappers.
The attackers were eventually overwhelmed, allowing the security forces to evacuate the abducted victims.
Twenty-one people were brought out alive, although two victims were injured during the operation. The commissioner identified them as one corps member and one civilian, both of whom suffered gunshot wounds to their right legs.
The security operation also dealt a major blow to the kidnapping group, with four suspects reportedly killed during the shootout.
Several others managed to escape into the surrounding bush, but police said some of the fleeing suspects may have sustained gunshot wounds.
Security personnel have remained in the area to continue the search for the escaped suspects, while neighbouring formations have been placed on alert.
Kankarofi described the incident as an isolated security breach and said the state remains generally calm.
He further assured motorists, residents and other travellers that security agencies are maintaining their presence across the state and responding to threats as they emerge.
The successful rescue highlights the importance of rapid intelligence gathering and cooperation between formal security agencies and local communities in responding to kidnapping incidents in difficult terrains.
