Troops of the Nigerian Army have rescued nine more people kidnapped along the Ajaokuta-Itobe road in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The Nigerian Army said in a post on its official social media handle that the victims were rescued after troops from Patrol Base Itobe pursued the kidnappers to the outskirts of Adumu in Dekina Local Government Area and engaged them in a gun battle.
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The incident occurred after the kidnappers ambushed commuters along the route, taking several passengers into the surrounding bush.
When the troops arrived at the scene, they found an abandoned Toyota Hiace bus and Toyota Sienna vehicle, with the passengers missing.
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The soldiers subsequently followed the route taken by the fleeing kidnappers and made contact with them near Adumu.
During the ensuing gun battle, the troops overpowered the criminals, forcing them to abandon the captives and flee into the bush with suspected gunshot wounds.
The nine rescued victims comprised two elderly men, two elderly women, four other adult males and an infant.
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They were evacuated to safety and handed over to the police, Itobe Area Command, for further necessary action and reunification with their families.
The army said troops were continuing to search the area for other possible victims and to apprehend the fleeing kidnappers.
The latest rescue is the second major rescue operation reported in the Ofu-Dekina axis within two days.
On Monday, the army said a joint team of soldiers, naval personnel, police officers, local vigilantes and hunters rescued 16 people abducted from the Ojuwo-Ajengo-Memarebo and Ojiwo-Itobe roads in Ofu Local Government Area.
The army said the 16 victims, comprising six adult males, six adult females and four children, were abandoned by their abductors after security forces engaged the criminals in a gun battle near Adumu.
One hunter was killed during that operation, while a police officer sustained injuries.
The latest incident occurred along the same general corridor where security agencies have intensified operations following repeated attacks on commuters.
READ ALSO: Army foil bandits’ ambush, recover AK-47 in Plateau
On 9 August, the Kogi Police Command also reported that its operatives had rescued 15 kidnap victims after a gun battle with their abductors along the Itobe-Anyigba Highway in Ofu Local Government Area.
The police said the incident occurred around 4 p.m. between Ojuwo Ajengo and Mamerebo, which it identified as a kidnapping flashpoint.
The reports have highlighted the security challenge along the road network linking Ofu, Dekina and other parts of Kogi, where suspected kidnappers have repeatedly used surrounding forests to abduct travellers and evade security forces.
The army urged residents to continue providing credible information to security agencies to support operations against criminal groups in the area.
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