Troops of the 4 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Benin, have rescued 14 passengers abducted by suspected kidnappers along the Lagos–Benin Expressway in Edo State.
The rescue operation was confirmed in a statement issued on Friday by the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 4 Brigade Nigerian Army, Capt. Kennedy Anyanwu.
According to Anyanwu, the operation was carried out by troops participating in Operation WABAIZIGAN in Ovia North-East Local Government Area following a kidnap incident that occurred along the highway on Thursday night.
He explained that troops on routine patrol received credible intelligence about the abduction at about 9:30 p.m. and immediately launched a pursuit of the fleeing kidnappers.
“The sustained pressure mounted by the troops forced the kidnappers to abandon 11 abducted victims before fleeing into the surrounding forest,” he said.
Anyanwu added that troops carried out a follow-up clearance operation in the forest on Friday, leading to the successful rescue of the remaining three victims.
He disclosed that all 14 victims underwent preliminary debriefing and medical assessment and were confirmed to be in stable condition before being reunited with their families and allowed to continue their journeys.
The army spokesman said the successful operation demonstrated the Nigerian Army’s operational readiness and its intelligence-driven approach to combating kidnapping and other violent crimes in collaboration with other security agencies.
Credit: Vanguard
