Army Rescues Kidnapped Lieutenant Colonel, Civilian After 10-day Operation In Enugu

Troops of the Nigerian Army have rescued a kidnapped senior military officer, Lieutenant Colonel Ofor Amobi, and a civilian, Mr. Ikechukwu Onwuanra, after an intensive 10-day search-and-rescue operation in Enugu State.

The successful rescue was disclosed in an operational report released by the military on Saturday.

According to the report, the victims were freed in the early hours of Friday after sustained military operations forced their abductors to abandon them.

The rescue mission was carried out by troops of Sector 1 of Operation UDO KA, made up of 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, involved extensive searches across the forests and surrounding communities of Inyi, Awlaw, and Akpugo-Eze in Oji River Local Government Area of Enugu State.

Acting swiftly on the information, troops launched a fighting patrol and discovered both victims abandoned at the edge of a forest in Inyi.

The rescued victims 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 revealed that the victims had been blindfolded after their abduction, taken to an undisclosed location, and later abandoned in a forest along the Enugu-Anambra border.

According to the military, the victims credited their rescue to the relentless pressure mounted by the joint security forces, which restricted the kidnappers’ movements and ultimately forced them to flee, leaving the captives behind.

The Nigerian Army said further details of the operation would be released as investigations continue.

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