Troops of the Nigerian Army’s 2 Division have rescued a kidnap victim and recovered an AK-47 rifle during an operation in Kogi State, the Army announced on Tuesday, in what officials described as part of continued efforts to curb criminal activity in the region.
According to a statement from the Nigerian Army’s official account, soldiers operating from Patrol Base Obajana came across a 28-year-old man who had managed to escape from his captors. During initial questioning, the victim told troops he had been abducted roughly five weeks earlier from the Abaji area of the Federal Capital Territory and had since been held at a location within Kogi State.
Acting on details provided by the escaped victim, troops moved quickly to the location he identified. On spotting the approaching soldiers, the kidnappers fled into nearby terrain, abandoning their position. A search of the area afterwards turned up one AK-47 rifle, which the Army said was believed to have been left behind by the fleeing suspects.
The rescued victim has since been taken to a military medical facility, where he is receiving treatment.
The Army framed the operation as evidence of its “sustained commitment to combating kidnapping and other violent crimes through proactive, intelligence-driven operations.”
Officials said troops are now working to track down the fleeing suspects and dismantle their wider network. The Army added that it would continue conducting operations in collaboration with other security agencies to secure communities across the affected areas.
No arrests have been reported in connection with the incident so far.
