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Six Kidnapped Worshippers Rescued by Nigerian Army in Kogi

By Desk Round Reports


Troops of the 12 Brigade of the Nigerian Army have successfully rescued six victims abducted last Sunday in Ejiba, Yagba East Local Government Area of Kogi State. 

Recall that the victims, including the pastor and his wife of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church, were seized by gunmen during a church service.

A statement issued yesterday in Lokoja by the Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Lt Hassan Abdullahi, confirmed the operation’s success. 

“In the ongoing onslaught against banditry and kidnapping across Kogi State, troops of 12 Brigade Nigerian Army have recorded another operational success with the rescue of six kidnapped victims during a coordinated search and rescue mission conducted within the Ejiba and Saminaka Forest axis spanning Yagba East and Yagba West Local Government Areas,” the statement read.

Abdullahi added that the rescue operation, which combined air and ground offensives with support from a Nigeria Police helicopter, led to the safe recovery of the victims. 

Five of them have since been debriefed and reunited with their families in Egbe and Ejiba communities, while the sixth is receiving medical attention due to injuries sustained prior to the rescue.

The brigade reasured its continued commitment to public safety. “Troops will continue to intensify operations, dominate the forests and identified hideouts, and deny criminals the freedom of action,” the statement said.

Reacting to the incident, Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Kingsley Fanwo, reiterated the government’s hardline stance against negotiation with kidnappers. 

Speaking during a live broadcast yesterday, Fanwo said: “The state government is maintaining its zero-tolerance stance on negotiating with criminal elements. We will never bow to bandits under any circumstances.”

The commissioner stated that Governor Usman Ododo’s administration possesses both the will and capacity to confront criminal networks. 

Fanwo acknowledged that two civilians died during a gun battle between security operatives and kidnappers but insisted that the intensity of the response sent a strong deterrent message. 

“The state will continue to deploy its comprehensive security architecture to neutralise threats and protect residents,” he added.


READ ALSO: Fresh Kidnap in Kwara as Community Recovers from Previous Abductions
































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