KOGI — A joint security operation in Kogi State has rescued 21 abducted victims, including 15 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, after a fierce gun battle with suspected kidnappers.
The operation, according to the Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Naziru Kankarofi, also resulted in the death of four suspected kidnappers, while several others reportedly escaped with gunshot wounds.
Kankarofi disclosed the development during an interview on Channels Television’s Morning Brief, explaining that security agencies mobilised immediately after receiving reports of the abduction.
He said an emergency meeting involving the Brigade Commander, the Commissioner of Police and the Director of the Department of State Services (DSS) was held to coordinate the rescue operation.
Security operatives subsequently launched a search-and-rescue mission with the assistance of local vigilantes and hunters familiar with the terrain.
According to the police commissioner, the operation eventually led security personnel to the kidnappers’ hideout on Monday afternoon.
“When we arrived at the camp around 4:00 p.m., there was a serious gun battle. They were eventually overpowered, and all the corps members were rescued,” he said.
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The victims had reportedly been travelling from Bayelsa State when their vehicles were ambushed along the Itobe–Ajaokuta Highway in Kogi State at about 5:00 p.m.
The attackers abducted the corps members and passengers travelling in another vehicle before taking them into the bush.
Kankarofi said four suspected kidnappers were killed during the exchange of gunfire, while several others fled with bullet wounds. Security forces have continued operations in the area in an effort to track down the fleeing suspects.
Two victims — one corps member and a civilian abducted from the second vehicle — sustained gunshot injuries to their right legs during the operation. They are receiving attention.
The police commissioner assured residents and travellers that security agencies remain on alert across the state, with neighbouring security formations also mobilised to assist in tracking the fleeing suspects.
He described the incident as an isolated occurrence, maintaining that Kogi State remains generally peaceful and that security agencies are responding promptly to security threats.
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