A joint military task force has rescued an abducted senior Nigerian Army officer, Lieutenant Colonel Ofor Amobi, and a civilian, Mr. Ikechukwu Onwuanra, ten days after they were kidnapped in Enugu State.
According to security sources, the victims were rescued in the early hours of Saturday following a coordinated search-and-rescue operation by troops of Sector 1, Operation UDO KA.
The operation involved personnel of the 82 Division Garrison, 103 Battalion (Rear), the Nigerian Navy Special Boat Service, the 197 Special Forces Battalion, and the Air Component, following actionable intelligence on the suspected location of the victims.
Security operatives carried out intensive operations across the forests of Inyi, Awlaw and Akpugo-Eze, as well as neighbouring communities in Oji River Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The breakthrough reportedly came after the Divisional Police Officer of Inyi Division alerted troops to the suspected location of the abductees, prompting a fighting patrol that led to the discovery of the victims abandoned at the edge of a forest.
The rescued victims were immediately evacuated for medical attention, with Mr. Onwuanra receiving treatment for a gunshot wound, while both were later transferred to the 82 Division Medical Hospital for further evaluation.
During preliminary debriefing, the victims reportedly told security operatives that they were blindfolded shortly after their abduction and held at an unknown location before being abandoned in a forest along the Enugu-Anambra boundary as sustained military operations intensified.
Military authorities attributed the successful rescue to sustained pressure mounted by the joint security team, supported by aerial surveillance, which disrupted the activities of the kidnappers and forced them to abandon their captives.
Security agencies said efforts are ongoing to identify, track and apprehend those responsible for the abduction.
