Troops Rescue Kidnapped Army Lieutenant Colonel, Civilian in Enugu

By Micheal Chukwuebuka

Nigerian troops have rescued a kidnapped senior military officer, Lt. Col. Ofor Amobi, and a civilian, Ikechukwu Onwuanra, following a 10-day joint search-and-rescue operation in Enugu State.

According to a military operational report released on Saturday, the victims were rescued in the early hours of Friday after sustained pressure from security forces forced their abductors to abandon them.

The operation involved troops of Sector 1 of Operation UDO KA, including personnel from the 82 Division Garrison, 103 Battalion (Reinforced), the Nigerian Navy Special Boat Service and the 197 Special Forces Battalion, who conducted searches across forests and communities in Oji River Local Government Area.

Acting on intelligence from the Divisional Police Officer of Inyi Division, troops found the victims abandoned at the edge of a forest in Inyi.

The military said both men sustained gunshot wounds and were evacuated to the 82 Division Medical Hospital for treatment.

Preliminary findings showed the victims had been blindfolded, taken to an unknown location and later abandoned in a forest along the Enugu-Anambra border. The military said the victims credited their rescue to the sustained pressure mounted by the joint security team.