Troops of the 4 Brigade, Nigerian Army, under 2 Division and deployed for Operation WABAIZIGAN, have rescued 14 kidnapped victims following a swift response to a kidnap incident along the Lagos-Benin Expressway in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State.

The victims were rescued during separate operations conducted on Thursday night and Friday, July 30 and 31, 2026, after troops received credible intelligence about the abduction.

According to a statement issued on Friday by the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 4 Brigade, Captain Kennedy Anyanwu, the troops were on routine patrol at about 9:30pm on Thursday when they received information about the incident.

The statement said the soldiers immediately pursued the kidnappers along their withdrawal route, mounting sustained pressure that forced the criminals to abandon 11 of their victims and escape into the surrounding forest.

“Acting swiftly and decisively, the troops immediately pursued the kidnappers along their withdrawal route, applying sustained pressure that forced the criminals to abandon 11 of the abducted victims and flee into the surrounding forest,” the statement said.

The Army said troops subsequently launched a follow-up clearance operation on Friday, during which they combed the forest and rescued the remaining three victims.

This brought the total number of kidnapped persons rescued during the operation to 14.

The rescued victims were subjected to preliminary debriefing and medical assessment and were confirmed to be in stable condition, according to the Army.

They were subsequently reunited with their families or allowed to continue their respective journeys.

The statement added that efforts were ongoing to track down and arrest the fleeing kidnappers.

The Army described the operation as a demonstration of its operational readiness and intelligence-driven approach to combating kidnapping and other violent crimes in Edo State.

It also urged members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies, saying such cooperation remained crucial to sustaining security operations across the state.

The Commander, 4 Brigade Nigerian Army, Brigadier General Ahmed Balogun, commended the troops for their professionalism, resilience, courage and proactive response during the operation.

Balogun reassured residents of Edo State and commuters using roads within the brigade’s area of operations of the Army’s commitment to protecting lives and property.

He further vowed that troops would sustain aggressive operations aimed at denying criminal elements safe havens and ensuring a secure environment for law-abiding citizens.