By Opeyemi Adelakun
Nigerian Army troops have intensified operations against criminal elements across the North-Central region, killing four suspected kidnappers, rescuing three abducted victims and arresting eight suspects during separate security operations in Kwara and Kogi states.
The operations, carried out under Operation Savannah Shield and other ongoing military missions, also led to the recovery of weapons, motorcycles and cash believed to have been used by the criminal syndicates.
According to an operational report released on Friday, troops laid an ambush for suspected kidnappers at a river crossing near Jonloji village in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State after receiving intelligence on their movements.
The military reportedly overpowered the suspects during the encounter, killing four of them while rescuing an abducted victim.
Security operatives also recovered a pump-action gun, four motorcycles and N64,000 believed to be linked to the gang. The rescued victim was immediately evacuated to the General Hospital in Kaiama for medical treatment.
In a separate operation in Kogi State, troops stationed at the Forward Operating Base in Egbe rescued two persons who had been kidnapped on July 21 at Ruga Mascaru in Yagba West Local Government Area.
The report stated that the kidnappers abandoned their captives and fled upon sighting the advancing troops, enabling the victims to regain their freedom before they were reunited with their families.
Beyond the anti-kidnapping operations, soldiers deployed in Plateau State arrested three suspects accused of attempting to sexually assault a 12-year-old girl in Bokkos Local Government Area. The suspects were subsequently handed over to the police for further investigation and prosecution.
Troops also intervened in a dispute between a farmer and a herder over alleged destruction of farmland, arresting the farmer while ensuring the injured herder received medical attention.
Meanwhile, soldiers responding to an attempted armed robbery along the Hawan Kibo–Rafin Sanyi Road in Riyom Local Government Area engaged the fleeing suspects, forcing them to abandon the operation and escape.
The report added that troops operating in other theatres, including Operations Fansan Yamma, Hadin Kai and AA II, continued offensive operations and routine patrols across their respective areas without recording any major security incidents during the period.
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