Troops of the 12 Battalion, Nigerian Army, have rescued two victims kidnapped from Ayegunle Bunu community in Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi State during a clearance operation in Odo Ape forest on June 3.
Security analyst Zagazola Makama said on X that the victims, abducted on May 31, were freed at about 5:30 a.m. after troops tracked their captors into the forest corridor linking Kogi and Kwara states.
The military said the rescued persons are in custody for medical check and preliminary debriefing to aid investigations.
According to security sources, Odo Ape forest and other forest corridors around Lokoja have become hideouts for kidnappers targeting motorists and rural communities along the Abuja-Lokoja highway.
The Army said follow-up operations are ongoing in the area to track the fleeing abductors and dismantle criminal camps used to launch attacks on communities in Kogi and adjoining states.
Kogi has recorded a rise in kidnapping incidents this year, with security agencies intensifying joint patrols and clearance operations to secure major highways and border communities.
12 Battalion Troops Rescue 2 Kidnap Victims in Kogi Forest, Launch Manhunt for Abductors
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