Troops and other security personnel have rescued 16 kidnapped persons after engaging suspected bandits in a gun battle in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The rescued victims comprised six men, six women and four children, according to an operational report made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday.
The victims were reportedly abducted on Saturday, Aug. 9, along the Ojuwo-Ajengo-Memarebo and Ojiwo-Itobe roads in Ofu Local Government Area of the state.
Security forces launched a search-and-rescue operation after receiving intelligence that the victims had been sighted around Adumu community in Dekina.
The operation involved troops of the 21 Battalion and personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Lugard, working alongside the police, vigilantes and Hybrid Forces.
According to the operational report, the security team eventually made contact with the suspected kidnappers and engaged them in a gun battle.
The confrontation reportedly forced the kidnappers to abandon the victims and flee into the surrounding area, allowing the security forces to evacuate the captives to safety.
However, the operation came at a cost, as one member of the Hybrid Forces was killed during the encounter, while a police officer sustained injuries.
The rescued victims were subsequently handed over to the police in Ajaokuta for further action and necessary assistance.
The military described the operation as another demonstration of the importance of cooperation among the armed forces, police, local vigilantes and other security groups in tackling kidnapping and securing vulnerable communities in Kogi.
The successful rescue comes amid sustained security operations across the state aimed at disrupting criminal networks and freeing victims held by kidnappers.
