The Nigerian military has rescued 21 kidnapped victims, including 15 members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), from a forested area in Kogi State.

The victims, comprising eight males and 13 females, were rescued from the Egume-Ochaja forest stretch by troops operating under the 2 Division of the Nigerian Army.

The Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Michael Onoja, disclosed the development on Monday while giving an update on ongoing military operations across the country.

According to him, the 15 NYSC members were among persons abducted last week while travelling from Abuja to Bayelsa State.

“The Armed Forces of Nigeria is also happy to announce that a total of 21 victims, comprising eight males and 13 females, 15 of them being National Youth Service Corps members, have just been rescued within the Egume and Ochaja forest stretch in 2 Division area of operation,” Onoja said.

The rescue came amid intensified military operations against terrorists and other criminal elements, particularly in parts of Niger State where fresh abductions have heightened security concerns.

Onoja said the military was working closely with other security agencies and state institutions through intelligence sharing and coordinated interventions to identify and neutralise criminal threats.

He pointed to the August 5 rescue of 308 abducted persons, mostly women and children, from the Kainji Lake National Park as evidence of the growing effectiveness of the security operations.

He said troops had continued to maintain pressure on terrorists operating within and around the park and other criminal corridors in the Borgu axis, with the objective of preventing further incursions and enabling displaced residents to return home.

“The Armed Forces, therefore, reassures the people of Borgu and their communities that military operations against terrorists and criminals will be sustained in the local government area and its environs to ensure the safety of the community,” he added.

The defence spokesman appealed to relatives of abducted persons to remain calm and avoid actions that could jeopardise ongoing rescue efforts.

He stressed that timely and credible information remained critical to the military’s ability to locate victims and safely recover them.

Onoja said the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, had directed troops to sustain operations against terrorism and criminality while prioritising the protection of civilians and the rescue of abducted persons.

332 Terrorists, Criminals Neutralised In August
Giving an overview of military operations during August, Onoja said troops neutralised more than 332 terrorists and criminals, arrested 373 suspects and rescued 610 kidnapped victims across various theatres of operation.

He said 201 insurgents also surrendered to the military during the month, while troops recovered 88 firearms and 2,077 rounds of ammunition.

In the fight against oil theft, the military recovered 686,800 litres of stolen crude oil products and destroyed 21 illegal refining sites.

Onoja attributed the gains to intensified kinetic and non-kinetic operations, improved intelligence gathering and stronger collaboration among security agencies.

He noted that the number of terrorists surrendering to troops had risen sharply from 11 in June to 57 in July and 201 in August, describing the trend as an indication of mounting pressure on terrorist groups.

The Defence Media Operations director said the CDS commended troops for their sacrifices in rescuing abducted citizens, dismantling criminal networks, disrupting illegal oil bunkering and safeguarding critical national assets.

The military, he added, would sustain its operations until threats to communities, particularly those around the Borgu axis, are sufficiently degraded.