Army Rescues Abducted Army Officer, Civilian After 10-Day Search Operation in Enugu
Troops of the Nigerian Army, supported by other security forces, have rescued a senior Army officer, Lt. Col. Ofor Amobi, and a civilian, Mr. Ikechukwu Onwuanra, after a 10-day search-and-rescue operation across forests and adjoining communities in Enugu State.
The victims were reportedly abducted before troops of Sector 1, Operation UDO KA (OPUK), launched an intensive operation to locate and rescue them.
Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that the breakthrough was achieved in the early hours of August 1 following sustained operations by troops of the 82 Division Garrison, 103 Battalion (Rear), Nigerian Navy Special Boat Service and 197 Special Forces Battalion, under the leadership of the Commander, 82 Division Garrison, with support from the Air Component.
The sources said the joint force sustained search operations from about 6:00 p.m. on July 31 until 6:00 a.m. on August 1, acting on actionable intelligence gathered during the operation.
The troops searched Inyi, Awlaw and Akpugo-Eze forests as well as adjoining communities in Oji River Local Government Area of Enugu State in a determined effort to locate the captives.
At about 2:00 a.m., the Divisional Police Officer of Inyi Division reportedly alerted the troops to information indicating the possible location of the abducted victims.
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The troops immediately mobilised and launched a fighting patrol into the area. They subsequently found Lt. Col. Amobi and Onwuanra abandoned at the edge of a forest.
The civilian victim was found with a gunshot wound.
The rescued victims were evacuated to Inyi and subsequently transferred to the 82 Division Medical Hospital, where they are receiving medical attention and undergoing comprehensive medical evaluation.
During preliminary debriefing, the victims reportedly told investigators that they were blindfolded shortly after their abduction and taken to an undisclosed location.
They further disclosed that the abductors later abandoned them in a forest near the Enugu-Anambra border after coming under sustained pressure from the security forces.
Military sources attributed the successful rescue to the persistent pressure mounted by the joint force throughout the 10-day operation, with support from the Air Component.
According to the sources, continuous surveillance and air operations over suspected hideouts restricted the abductors’ freedom of movement and disrupted their ability to retain the captives.
The sustained operational pressure, they said, eventually forced the kidnappers to abandon the victims and flee the area.
The Army has commenced further investigations and follow-up operations aimed at identifying, locating and apprehending the perpetrators and dismantling the network responsible for the abduction.
Security forces are also expected to intensify operations across the affected forests and adjoining communities to prevent the abductors from regrouping and to secure the area.
By PRNigeria
