The Kogi State Police Command has explained how 15 National Youth Service Corps members and six other victims were rescued from kidnappers following a coordinated security operation in Egume Forest, Ofu Local Government Area.
The state Commissioner of Police, Naziru Kankarofi, disclosed the details on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday.
According to him, security agencies swung into action immediately after receiving information about the abduction. The operation involved personnel from the police, military and Department of State Services, as well as local vigilantes and hunters.
Kankarofi said the knowledge of the local terrain possessed by the hunters and vigilantes proved useful in locating the kidnappers’ hideout.
He said, “As soon as we were alerted, we put all necessary measures in place to ensure they were rescued and returned to their families.”
The commissioner explained that commanders of the various security formations held an emergency meeting and subsequently coordinated the search for the victims.
He added, “We fashioned out a search-and-rescue operation, which commenced immediately. As the situation unfolded, we narrowed down to a particular spot and sought the support of local vigilantes and hunters who know the terrain very well.”
The operation was intensified on Sunday, with security personnel eventually locating the kidnappers’ camp on Monday afternoon.
According to Kankarofi, the security team engaged the abductors in a gun battle before overpowering them and freeing all the corps members.
He said, “Around 4:00 p.m. yesterday, we arrived at the camp of the kidnappers. There was a serious gun battle; they were eventually overpowered, and all the corps members were rescued.”
The police commissioner disclosed that one corps member and another civilian sustained gunshot injuries to their right legs during the confrontation.
He said four suspected kidnappers were killed, while several others fled the scene with suspected bullet wounds.
“Four of the kidnappers were killed during the exchange of fire, and several escaped with bullet wounds,” he stated.
Kankarofi said security personnel remained in the area to search for the fleeing suspects and prevent them from regrouping.
He also revealed that the Kogi Police Command had contacted its counterpart in neighbouring Enugu State to help block possible escape routes.
“This morning, I also linked up with the neighbouring command in Enugu State because that area leads into Enugu, and arrangements have been made to ensure their forces block their end of the region,” he said.
The victims were reportedly travelling from Bayelsa when they were attacked after entering Kogi State through the Itobe-Ajaokuta Highway.
The commissioner said the corps members were abducted alongside passengers travelling in another vehicle from the opposite direction.
He explained, “When they entered Kogi along the Itobe–Ajaokuta Highway around 5:00 p.m., they were attacked and abducted into the bush alongside passengers from another vehicle coming from the opposite direction.”
Kankarofi appealed for calm, describing the incident as an isolated security challenge rather than a reflection of the general security situation in the state.
He said, “Kogi State has been generally peaceful and calm. The security forces here are very effective and respond promptly.”
He further urged travellers not to be deterred from using roads in the state, assuring them that security personnel were deployed across the area.
“But generally, the state is calm. You can feel free to travel through Kogi State with nothing to worry about,” the commissioner added.
