Emmanuel Adeyemi Lokoja
No fewer than 100 victims mostly women and children have been rescued from the kidnappers’ den in the forest between Kogi and the Nasarawa state border while 180 members of the deadly gang were arrested.
The raid carried out within the last two weeks by the men of the Nigerian Army from the 177 Battalion and the Army Records Lokoja with supports from local vigilantes have cleared the camp of Darusallam, a terror group that has been carrying out its heinous operations for over eight years in the area.
According to findings,Darusallam camp which is located at Ittu comprises of over 2,000 kidnappers, bandits and Boko Haram elements that are said to have been responsible for most of the kidnappings and criminal activities perpetrated along the Abuja-Lokoja highway.
One of the suspects, it was learnt was shot dead while attempting to escape during the military clearing operations.
The logistics supports of the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello to the Nigerian Army was said to have helped in no small measure in the success recorded by men of the Nigerian Army in this latest operation.
A source said between last Wednesday a d Saturday about 100 persons mostly women and children were rescued and taken to Lafia while yesterday( Sunday) at Achara in Tawari Ward of Kogi LGA, about 180 of family members of Darusalam were arrested.