Troops of the Nigerian Army have rescued a kidnapped 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.
This is contained in a military operational report made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Abuja.
According to the report, the victims were rescued in the early hours of Friday following sustained operational pressure mounted on their abductors.
The military said the operation was carried out by troops of Sector 1 of Operation UDO KA, comprising personnel of the 82 Division Garrison, 103 Battalion (Reinforced), the Nigerian Navy Special Boat Service and the 197 Special Forces Battalion.
It said the joint force, led by the Commander, 82 Division Garrison, conducted intensive search operations across the forests and communities of Inyi, Awlaw and Akpugo-Eze in Oji River Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The report stated that troops acted on credible intelligence received from the Divisional Police Officer of the Inyi Police Division at about 2:00 a.m. on Friday regarding the location of the victims.
According to the military, both victims sustained gunshot wounds during their ordeal and were immediately evacuated to the 82 Division Medical Hospital, where they are receiving treatment and undergoing medical evaluation.
Preliminary findings indicated that the victims were blindfolded after being abducted, transported to an unknown location and later abandoned in a forest along the Enugu-Anambra border.
“The victims attributed their rescue to the sustained pressure mounted by the joint troops, which denied the kidnappers freedom of movement and compelled them to abandon their captives,” the report stated.
The military added that further details of the operation would be made available in due course.
