By Soldiers of the Nigerian Army have secured the release of a senior military officer, Lieutenant Colonel Ofor Amobi, and a civilian identified as Ikechukwu Onwuanra, following a rescue effort that stretched across ten days in Enugu State.
Details of the operation emerged from a military report made available to the News Agency of Nigeria on Saturday in Abuja. According to the report, the two victims were freed in the early hours of Friday after the abductors were worn down by continuous pressure from pursuing troops.
The operation was executed by soldiers attached to Sector 1 of Operation UDO KA, a joint formation drawing personnel from the 82 Division Garrison, the 103 Battalion (Reinforced), the Nigerian Navy Special Boat Service, and the 197 Special Forces Battalion. Under the command of the 82 Division Garrison commander, the troops combed through the Inyi, Awlaw, and Akpugo-Eze forests, along with surrounding communities in the Oji River Local Government Area of the state.
The breakthrough came around 2:00 a.m. on Friday, when troops acted on a tip received from the Divisional Police Officer of Inyi Division regarding the possible location of the captives. Acting swiftly, the soldiers mounted a fighting patrol to the area and found both victims abandoned near the edge of a forest in Inyi.
Both had sustained gunshot wounds by the time they were located. They were promptly evacuated to the 82 Division Medical Hospital, where they are receiving treatment and undergoing further medical assessment. Preliminary questioning of the victims indicated that they had been blindfolded and moved to an undisclosed location before being left behind in a forested area along the boundary between Enugu and Anambra states.
Recounting their ordeal, the victims credited their freedom to the relentless pressure mounted by the joint military team, which they said cut off the kidnappers’ movement and ultimately forced them to release their captives. The military said additional details about the operation would be released at a later date.
