Troops rescue 14 kidnap victims on Lagos-Benin highway

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Some of the rescued kidnap victims

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Troops of the 4 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Benin, have rescued 14 kidnap victims following an operation along the Lagos-Benin Expressway.

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Capt. Kennedy Anyanwu, Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 4 Brigade Nigerian Army, disclosed this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday.

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Anyanwu said the operation, which took place in the Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo section of the road, was carried out by troops participating in Operation WABAIZIGAN.

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The rescue, he said, followed a kidnap incident along the highway on Thursday night.

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According to him, the troops on routine patrol received credible intelligence on the incident at about 9:30 p.m. and immediately launched a pursuit of the kidnappers along their escape route.

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“The sustained pressure mounted by the troops forced the kidnappers to abandon 11 abducted victims before fleeing into the surrounding forest.

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“Troops subsequently launched a follow-up clearance operation in the forest on Friday, leading to the rescue of the remaining three victims.

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“All 14 rescued victims underwent preliminary debriefing and medical assessment and were confirmed to be in stable condition,” he said.

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Anyanwu noted that the victims had since been reunited with their families and allowed to continue their journeys.

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He added that efforts were ongoing to track down and apprehend the fleeing kidnappers.

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According to him, the operation underscored the army’s operational readiness and intelligence-driven approach to tackling kidnapping and other violent crimes in collaboration with other security agencies.

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He, however, urged members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies to support ongoing operations against criminal elements.

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Meanwhile, the commander of the 4 Brigade, Brig. -Gen. Ahmed Balogun commended the troops for their professionalism, resilience, and courage during the operation.

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Balogun reassured residents of Edo and commuters using the Lagos-Benin Expressway of the brigade’s commitment to protecting lives and property.

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He said troops would sustain aggressive operations to deny criminal elements safe havens and ensure a secure environment for law-abiding citizens. (NAN)

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