Troops Rescue 14 Kidnap Victims On Lagos-Benin Expressway

Troops have rescued 14 kidnap victims after an operation along the Lagos-Benin Expressway in Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State.

The army said soldiers from the 4 Brigade in Benin acted on information received during a patrol at about 9.30 p.m. on July 30. The troops pursued the kidnappers and forced them to abandon 11 victims before fleeing into a nearby forest.

A follow-up clearance operation on July 31 led to the rescue of the remaining three victims, bringing the total number rescued to 14. The rescued people were medically checked, found to be stable and reunited with their families or allowed to continue their journeys.

The operation was carried out under Operation WABAIZIGAN. Security personnel said efforts were still under way to track down and arrest the kidnappers who escaped into the forest.

Captain Kennedy Anyanwu, Assistant Director of Army Public Relations for the 4 Brigade, urged residents to keep giving timely information to security agencies. The Brigade Commander, Brigadier-General Ahmed Balogun, also commended the troops involved in the operation.

Sources: Vanguard, Daily Post, Premium Times