Troops of the 12 Brigade Nigerian Army have rescued 23 kidnapped passengers after a swift counter-kidnapping operation launched in the early hours of Sunday in Kogi.

A statement by the Brigade’s spokesperson, Hassan Abdullahi, on Monday, disclosed that the troops foiled a mass abduction attempt along the Ayegunle-Bunu Road in Kabba-Bunu LGA and rescued 23 kidnapped passengers during the operation.

The army said two hostages were confirmed dead while five others sustained injuries during the attack. It said the bandits barricaded the highway and abducted several passengers travelling through the area.

Acting on a distress call received at about 3:30 a.m., troops deployed within Kabba metropolis immediately moved to the scene.

“Although the kidnappers had fled before the troops’ arrival, the soldiers launched an aggressive pursuit along the criminals’ suspected withdrawal routes. During the assessment of the attack scene, troops recovered two Toyota commercial buses and a HOWO truck abandoned by the roadside.

“Two victims were confirmed dead, while five others with injuries were promptly evacuated to St. Joseph Hospital, Kabba, where they are receiving treatment,” the army said.

The brigade said the pressure from pursuing troops forced the kidnappers to abandon 23 of their captives, who were rescued unharmed and secured. It added that the troops were currently in the area and conducting intensive search-and-rescue operations to locate and recover any remaining victims still in captivity.

The army reaffirmed its resolve to deny criminal elements freedom of action and pledged to continue working with other security agencies and local stakeholders to strengthen security across Kogi and Nigeria.

The army urged the public to support ongoing security efforts by providing timely and credible information to relevant security agencies to help prevent future attacks.

(NAN)