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Troops of 4 Brigade Nigerian Army have rescued 14 kidnapped victims along the Lagos–Benin Expressway in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State.
In a Friday statement signed by Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 4 Brigade, Captain Kennedy Anyanwu, the Army said the rescue was carried out under Operation WABAIZIGAN.
According to the statement, troops on routine patrol received credible intelligence on the kidnap incident at about 9:30pm on July 30, 2026.
They immediately pursued the kidnappers along their withdrawal route.
“The sustained pressure forced the criminals to abandon 11 of the abducted victims and flee into the surrounding forest,” the statement said.
In a follow-up clearance operation conducted on July 31, troops combed the forest and rescued the remaining three victims, bringing the total number of rescued persons to 14.
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Anyanwu disclosed that following preliminary debriefing and medical assessment, all the rescued victims were confirmed to be in stable condition.
They were subsequently reunited with their families or allowed to continue their respective journeys.
The Army said efforts were ongoing to track down and apprehend the fleeing kidnappers.
The Commander, 4 Brigade Nigerian Army, Brigadier General Ahmed Balogun, commended the troops for their “professionalism, proactive posture, resilience, and courage” during the operation.
He reassured residents of Edo State and commuters within the Brigade’s Area of Operations of the Army’s commitment to protecting lives and property, adding that troops will sustain aggressive operations to deny criminal elements safe havens.
The Army further urged members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies to sustain operational successes.
