Troops of the Nigerian Army’s 4 Brigade under the 2 Division have killed a suspected notorious kidnapper, rescued four abducted victims and arrested another suspect during separate security operations in Edo State.
The operations were carried out in collaboration with the Edo State Security Corps under Operation IGBO DANU 1 in Warake Forest, Auchi Local Government Area, and Ujemen in Esan West Local Government Area.
Assistant Director of Army Public Relations for the 4 Brigade, Capt. Kennedy Anyanwu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday.
According to him, the first operation was conducted during a night patrol on March 3 after troops received reports of gunshots in Warake Forest.
He explained that the soldiers moved swiftly to the location and engaged the suspected kidnappers.
“Troops responding to gunshots heard in the forest during a night patrol launched an aggressive pursuit with minimum use of firearms,” Anyanwu said.
He added that the troops overpowered the criminals during the encounter.
“The gallant troops neutralised a notorious kidnapper that has been terrorising Auchi and surrounding communities. The superior firepower of the troops forced the other criminals to abandon their victims and flee into the bush,” he stated.
The Army said four abducted victims — Stella Abbas (29), Tina Ododa (19), Razak Rashid (27) and Mutanibi Kalifa (16) — were rescued unharmed and later reunited with their families.
Items recovered from the slain suspect include N650,000 in cash, footwear, a power bank and mobile phones.
In a separate operation on the same day, troops raided a building suspected to be a kidnappers’ hideout in Ujemen, Esan West Local Government Area.
During the raid, a 39-year-old suspect identified as Omogbegha Solomon was arrested.
“Troops discovered a shrine containing charms and photographs of several individuals in an abandoned room within the compound. The shrine was destroyed in-situ,” the statement said.
The Army added that the arrested suspect was handed over to the Nigeria Police Force, Ekpoma Division, for further investigation.
Meanwhile, the Commander of the 4 Brigade, Brig.-Gen. Ahmed Balogun, commended the troops for the successful operations and urged them to sustain the pressure on criminal groups in the state.
Balogun said the operation was in line with the directive of the General Officer Commanding 2 Division, Major General Chinedu Nnebeife, to intensify efforts against insecurity.
He reassured residents that the brigade remains committed to protecting lives and property across Edo State.
