Army, police comb Kogi forests for kidnapped victims, suspects

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The Kogi State Police Command and the Nigerian Army have intensified a forest search for victims of a reported kidnapping along the Okene-Auchi Road, deploying tactical teams and drones across suspected criminal hideouts.

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PUNCH Metro learnt this from a statement issued on Sunday by the command’s spokesperson, ASP Afusat Salisu.

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Salisu stated that the rescue operation was being conducted through the coordinated deployment of police and military personnel to forest areas suspected to be used as hideouts by the perpetrators.

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“Immediately following the incident, the Command activated its rescue response and commenced intelligence-driven bush-combing operations across identified forest corridors within the Okene–Ajokuta axis, particularly around the Ebiya Forest and adjoining areas.

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“The operation involves personnel from the Area Command, Okene; 77 Police Mobile Force Squadron, Okene; Okene Division; Adavi Division; Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Kogi State Command; Violent Crime Response Unit; as well as detachments of the Nigerian Army operating from Forward Operating Bases within the area.

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“The operation has also received operational support from the Edo State Police Command, including its Anti-Kidnapping Unit and other tactical personnel.

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“To deny the criminal elements any escape route, the command has further strengthened joint operations across the Kogi–Edo border, with security personnel conducting coordinated clearance operations and intelligence-driven patrols in identified forest locations linked to the incident,” she stated.

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She explained that as the search operation progressed, security teams identified and searched suspected criminal hideouts within the forest.

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Items recovered included foodstuffs and cooking ingredients, an Army-pattern jungle hat and a National Identity Card, among other articles suspected to have been left behind by the criminal elements.

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“The identified hideouts were subsequently destroyed and set ablaze to prevent their further use by the perpetrators,” Afusat said.

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She said that although no kidnapped victim was recovered from the locations searched during the initial phase of the operation, security forces had maintained their advance into the forest and adjoining axes in a determined effort to locate and rescue the victims and apprehend those responsible.

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According to her, the operation continued on Saturday, with tactical teams advancing towards identified locations of interest along the Ajaokuta and Adoko axes.

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She added that technical support, including the deployment of drones by the Nigerian Army and Edo State Police Command, was also being utilised to enhance surveillance and intelligence gathering during the operation.

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The Commissioner of Police, Kogi State Command, Naziru Kankarofi, directed the operational teams to sustain the search and rescue effort until the victims were safely recovered and the perpetrators brought to justice.

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He further assured members of the public that the command was working closely with sister security agencies and relevant stakeholders to ensure that the perpetrators did not escape the reach of the law.

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“The command recognises the anxiety generated by the incident and urges members of the public, particularly residents around the affected areas, to remain calm and vigilant while providing security agencies with timely and credible information that could assist the ongoing operation. The safety and recovery of the victims remain the Command’s immediate priority,” she added.

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