Troops of the Nigerian Army have rescued a senior military officer, Lt. Col. Ofor Amobi, and a civilian, Mr Ikechukwu Onwuanra, after a 10-day joint search-and-rescue operation in Enugu State.
According to a military operational report made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday, the two victims were rescued in the early hours of Friday after sustained pressure was mounted on their abductors.
The operation was carried out by troops of Sector 1 of Operation UDO KA, involving personnel from the 82 Division Garrison, 103 Battalion (Reinforced), the Nigerian Navy Special Boat Service, and the 197 Special Forces Battalion.
The troops, led by the Commander of the 82 Division Garrison, carried out intensive searches across Inyi, Awlaw and Akpugo-Eze forests and communities in Oji River Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The military said the breakthrough came after receiving intelligence from the Divisional Police Officer of Inyi Division around 2:00 a.m. on Friday about the victims’ location.
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A fighting patrol was immediately launched, leading to the discovery of the victims abandoned at the edge of a forest in Inyi.
Both victims had sustained gunshot injuries and were evacuated to the 82 Division Medical Hospital for treatment and medical evaluation.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the victims had been blindfolded, taken to an unknown location and later abandoned in a forest along the Enugu-Anambra border.
The military said the victims credited their rescue to the relentless pressure applied by the joint forces, which restricted the movement of the kidnappers and forced them to abandon their captives.
The Army added that more details about the operation would be released as investigations continue.
