Troops of the fourth brigade, Nigerian army, on Wednesday, March 4th, announced the neutralization of a notorious kidnapper and the rescue of four victims in Warake forest, Auchi local government area of Edo state.
According to the brigade’s spokesperson, Kennedy Anyanwu, troops under Operation Igbo Danu (OPID), supported by vigilantes on night patrol, heard gunshots in the forest on March 3rd and launched an aggressive pursuit.
During the encounter, they neutralized a kidnapper who had been terrorizing Auchi and its surrounding communities.
The remaining criminals, overwhelmed by the troops’ superior firepower, abandoned their victims and fled into the bush.
The victims, identified as Stella Abbas (29), Tina Ododa (19), Razak Rashid (27), and Mutanibi Kalifa (16), were unharmed and safely reunited with their families.
Items recovered from the neutralized kidnapper include ₦650,000 cash, mobile phones, a power bank, and footwear.
In a separate operation, military personnel in collaboration with the Edo state security corps raided a kidnapper’s hideout in Ujemen, Esan west local government area.
During the raid, 39-year-old Omogbegha Solomon was arrested.
Troops also discovered a shrine containing charms and photographs of various individuals, which was destroyed on-site.
Solomon was later handed over to the Nigeria police force, Ekpoma division, for further investigation.
The commander of the fourth brigade, Ahmed Balogun, praised the troops for their professionalism during the operations.
He urged continued aggressive action against criminal elements in line with directives from the general officer commanding the second division, Chinedu Nnebeife.
Balogun reaffirmed the brigade’s commitment to protecting lives and property in Edo state.
Comments