The police command in Kogi State has launched coordinated bush-combing operations and dismantled suspected criminal hideouts in forest areas along the Okene–Auchi Road, as the search for victims of a recent kidnapping intensifies.

The command’s spokesperson, ASP Afusat Saliu, in a statement on Sunday in Lokoja, said that joint teams of police and the army were deployed to the Ebiya Forest and adjoining corridors within the Okene–Ajaokuta axis to locate the abducted victims and apprehend the perpetrators.

She said that the operation, which was activated immediately after the incident,  involved officers from the Area Command Okene, 77 Police Mobile Force Squadron, Okene Division, Adavi Division, the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, and the Violent Crime Response Unit.

“Also involved is the detachments of the Nigerian Army from Forward Operating Bases in the area, with additional tactical support from the Edo State Police Command, including its Anti-Kidnapping Unit,” Ms Saliu said.

The command spokesperson said the security teams combed the forests identified and searched for suspected hideouts used by the kidnappers.

“Items recovered at the locations include foodstuffs, cooking ingredients, an army-pattern jungle hat and a National Identity Card believed to have been abandoned by the suspects.

“The identified hideouts were subsequently destroyed and set ablaze to deny criminals further use of the locations.

“To enhance surveillance, the Nigerian Army and the Edo State Police Command have deployed drones to support intelligence gathering during the operation,” Ms Saliu said.

Though no victim was rescued during the initial phase, the command said operations continued into Saturday, with tactical teams advancing toward areas of interest along the Ajaokuta and Adoko axis.

To block possible escape routes, Ms Saliu said joint patrols and clearance operations had been strengthened across the Kogi–Edo border.

Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police (CP), Naziru Kankarofi, assured residents that the command was working closely with sister security agencies and stakeholders to ensure that the victims were safely rescued and those responsible brought to justice.

He urged residents, especially those in affected communities, to remain calm and vigilant and to provide timely and credible information to security agencies.

“The safety and recovery of the victims remain the Command’s immediate priority,” he said.

In a related development, the command said normalcy had returned to Abugi and adjoining communities in Lokoja following recent reprisals.

The police area command, Lokoja, in conjunction with traditional rulers and community leaders, held critical engagements focused on reconciliation and restoring peaceful coexistence, Saliu said.

According to her, a full-scale investigation into the killings has also commenced by the State Criminal Investigation Department to identify and apprehend those involved.

“Personnel remain strategically deployed within the affected communities to prevent further violence and protect lives and property.

“The restoration of calm, however, does not in any way halt the ongoing investigation,” the command’s spokesperson stated.

Ms Saliu quoted the CP as reiterating the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property across Kogi State and called on the public to remain law-abiding.

Ms Saliu also enjoined residents to promptly report suspicious movements to the police. 

(NAN)