The Nigerian Army has successfully rescued a senior military officer, Lt.-Col. Ofor Amobi, and a civilian, Mr. Ikechukwu Onwuanra, following a 10-day joint search-and-rescue operation in Enugu State.
According to a military operational report released to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday, the victims regained their freedom in the early hours of Friday after security forces intensified operations against their abductors.
The rescue mission was carried out by troops of Sector 1 of Operation UDO KA, involving personnel from the 82 Division Garrison, the reinforced 103 Battalion, the Nigerian Navy Special Boat Service, and the 197 Special Forces Battalion.
The operation, led by the Commander of the 82 Division Garrison, focused on extensive searches 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 intelligence received around 2:00 a.m. on Friday from the Divisional Police Officer of the Inyi Division revealed the victims’ location. Troops immediately launched a combat patrol to the area, where the abductees were found abandoned at the edge of a forest in Inyi.
Both victims sustained gunshot injuries during their ordeal and were promptly evacuated to the 82 Division Medical Hospital for treatment and further medical assessment.
Preliminary findings indicated that the abductees had been blindfolded, moved to an undisclosed location, and later abandoned in a forest along the Enugu-Anambra border.
The military noted that the victims credited their rescue to the relentless pressure mounted by the joint security forces, saying the sustained operations restricted the kidnappers’ movements and ultimately forced them to abandon their captives.
