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Troops of the 12 Brigade, Nigerian Army, under 2 Division, have rescued five hostages abandoned by fleeing bandits during sustained counter-terrorism operations in Kogi State’s forests.
The Commanding Officer of 126 Battalion, Lt. Col. Francis Nwoffiah, disclosed this at a press briefing on Wednesday at the 12 Brigade Headquarters in Lokoja.
He said the rescue occurred on Tuesday, June 17, when troops from Forward Operating Base, Oshokoshoko, mounted a blocking mission along the Oshokoshoko–Adankolo route within Adankolo Forest.
Nwoffiah said the ground operation followed air interdiction by helicopter assets provided by the Office of the National Security Adviser, which engaged several bandit camps in Agbede Forest, particularly the Danguntu camp in Kabba-Bunu LGA.
“Unable to move with all their captives, they abandoned some of them, which allowed the captives to take advantage and move away,” he said.
Lt. Col. Nwoffiah added that bandit leader Battijo, who held the captives, had been neutralised a few days earlier along with his lieutenant, Issa. Another key bandit, Maidawa, was earlier neutralised in the Isanlu-Esa area.
“We have degraded major criminal networks terrorising Kogi.
“There is a new team in place, and the Army’s message to bandits and other criminals is simple: quit or face your Waterloo,” he said.
On behalf of the Commander of 12 Brigade, Brig. Gen. Kasim Umar Sidi, he assured residents that troops would sustain aggressive operations until all criminal camps are dismantled.
He said the five rescued hostages include Mr John Luna, Farouq Abdullahi and Eunice Fedrick.
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At the 12 Brigade Medical Centre in Lokoja, the hostages told journalists that they were abducted on June 1 at about 2:30 a.m. from a night bus travelling from Abuja to Lagos.
They said 28 persons were held in the bush for 17 days and forced to herd cattle before helicopter strikes forced the bandits to disperse.
“The security agency came where we were. The bandits dropped us and left because of pressure from the troops,” Luna said, while Fedrick added: “To the glory of God, we survived.”
Meanwhile, the Kogi State Government welcomed the rescue as another breakthrough in the offensive against terrorists.
In a statement by the Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, the government said the success followed coordinated air and ground missions since operations around Iluke Bunu, which have led to more rescues and destruction of criminal camps.
Fanwo said preliminary accounts showed bandits abandoned captives due to overwhelming military pressure.
He commended the 12 Brigade, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), the Police, the Department of State Services (DSS), the NSCDC, vigilantes and hunters for their professionalism, and appreciated President Bola Tinubu, NSA Nuhu Ribadu, service chiefs and heads of security agencies for their support.
Speaking for the government, Dr Austin Ojotule, state epidemiologist representing the Commissioner for Health, Dr Abdulazeez Adeiza, said the Ministry of Health had assessed the hostages and taken full charge of their medical care.
“The state government will cover all health bills until they are fully recovered and reunited with their families,” he said, while commending President Tinubu and Governor Ahmed Ododo for supporting security operations in Kogi.
