Troops of the Nigerian Army have rescued a kidnapped senior military officer, Lieutenant Colonel Ofor Amobi, and a civilian, Mr. Ikechukwu Onwuanra, following a 10-day search-and-rescue operation in Enugu State.
According to a military operational report made available on Saturday, the victims regained their freedom in the early hours of Friday after sustained pressure forced their abductors to abandon them.
The rescue operation was carried out by troops of Sector 1 of Operation UDO KA, comprising personnel from the 82 Division Garrison, 103 Battalion (Reinforced), the Nigerian Navy Special Boat Service, and the 197 Special Forces Battalion.
The troops, led by the Commander of the 82 Division Garrison, conducted intensive search operations across the forests and surrounding communities of Inyi, Awlaw, and Akpugo-Eze in Oji River Local Government Area of Enugu State.
Military authorities said the breakthrough came after the Divisional Police Officer of the Inyi Division provided intelligence at about 2:00 a.m. on Friday, revealing the suspected location of the captives.
Acting on the information, troops immediately launched a combat patrol and discovered the victims abandoned at the edge of a forest in Inyi.
Both the military officer and the civilian had sustained gunshot wounds and were immediately evacuated to the 82 Division Medical Hospital, where they are receiving treatment and undergoing medical evaluation.
Preliminary findings indicated that the victims had been blindfolded and moved to an unknown location before being abandoned in a forest along the Enugu-Anambra border.
According to the military, the rescued victims credited their freedom to the relentless operations carried out by the joint security team, which denied the kidnappers freedom of movement and ultimately forced them to flee.
The Nigerian Army said further details of the rescue operation would be released as investigations continue.
