Troops of Sector 1 under the Joint Task Force, Operation UDO KA, have rescued 14 kidnapped persons during a decisive raid on a criminal hideout in the Orokam Forest, which straddles Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State and Ogbadigbo Local Government Area of Benue State.
A reliable military source at Army Headquarters told DAILY GAZETTE on Saturday that the operation was launched after troops received “actionable intelligence” from alert members of the affected communities.
According to the source, the victims were kidnapped on Friday in separate incidents in Ezimo Agu community in Udenu LGA, Enugu State, and Orokam in Ogbadigbo LGA, Benue State.
They were reportedly held in scattered clusters deep inside the forest.
Upon confirming the intelligence, troops, working in synergy with local vigilante groups, staged a coordinated offensive on the suspected hideout.
“On contact, the criminals opened fire, resulting in a fierce exchange,” the source said.
“However, the joint force’s superior firepower, tactical manoeuvre, and sustained advance forced the kidnappers to retreat and abandon the victims.”
The rescued individuals have since been handed over to the Divisional Police Officer of Udenu Division for documentation and to facilitate their reunification with their families.
