Troops of the 4 Brigade, Nigerian Army, under the 2 Division, have rescued 14 travellers abducted by kidnappers at Igueze along the Lagos–Benin Expressway in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State.
The Brigade’s spokesman, Capt. Kennedy Anyanwu, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.
He said the operation was carried out on Thursday at about 9:30 p.m. after troops on routine patrol received intelligence on the abduction.
According to the statement, the troops pursued the kidnappers along their escape route, forcing them to abandon 11 of the victims and flee into a nearby forest.
It added that a follow-up clearance operation conducted on Friday led to the rescue of the remaining three victims.
“Following preliminary debriefing and medical assessment, all the rescued victims were confirmed to be in stable condition and were subsequently reunited with their families or allowed to continue their respective journeys.
“Efforts are ongoing to track down and apprehend the fleeing kidnappers.
“The successful operation underscores the Nigerian Army’s operational readiness, intelligence-driven approach, and unwavering resolve to combat kidnapping and other violent crimes in close collaboration with other security agencies. Members of the public are encouraged to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies, as such support remains vital to sustaining operational successes and enhancing security across the state,” the statement said.