Troops Kill 3 Kidnappers, Free Woman in Delta Forest Raid
Troops of 63 Brigade, Nigerian Army, under the Joint Task Force Operation Delta Safe, have gunned down three suspected kidnappers and rescued a female victim in a daring operation at Otulu Forest, Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State.
The operation, carried out alongside a tracker team from the Delta State Government House, Asaba, followed credible intelligence on the movement and hideouts of the kidnappers, according to a statement issued on Monday by Captain Iliyasu Bawa Rijau, Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 63 Brigade.
Rijau disclosed that the kidnappers had been under surveillance since last week after security agencies received reports of their activities around Issele-Uku.
Despite allegedly collecting ransom from families of abducted victims, the troops pursued them into their forest base, where a gun battle ensued.
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“In the ensuing firefight that lasted for about 30 minutes, troops neutralised three kidnappers and recovered an AK-47 rifle, a magazine, 52 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, a cutlass, four mobile phones, a phone charger, a power bank and a pack of Benson cigarettes.The sum of N2,336,000, abandoned by the criminals, was also recovered,” the statement read.
The Army further confirmed that one soldier sustained a gunshot wound to the leg, while the rescued woman also had injuries inflicted by her captors. Both, however, were evacuated to the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba, where they are currently in stable condition.
The corpses of the neutralised kidnappers have been handed over to the Keystone Police Station in Ogwashi-Uku for further action.
In a related operation, troops of 63 Brigade, in collaboration with Operation Delta Sweep, rescued another kidnap victim, Saviour Okiemute, at Ekrodo-Jesse community in Ethiope West Local Government Area.
Acting on a distress call, troops mobilised to the scene, prompting the kidnappers to abandon their victim and flee into the forest. Although pursuit was launched, no contact was made with the suspects. A subsequent search operation led to the recovery of an unserviceable dane gun.
Brigadier General M.A. Shonibare, Commander 63 Brigade/ Sector 1, Joint Task Force Operation Delta Safe, commended the troops for their bravery.
He assured residents that the ongoing crackdown on kidnappers and other criminal elements in Delta State would be intensified to ensure peace and security.
By PRNigeria
