The Kogi State Police Command has intensified search and rescue operations following a kidnapping incident along the Okene–Auchi Road, deploying police and military personnel to forest areas suspected to be hideouts of the perpetrators.
The operation, which is intelligence-driven, covers forest corridors within the Okene–Ajokuta axis, particularly the Ebiya Forest and adjoining areas, as security agencies work to rescue the victims and apprehend those responsible.
The Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Saliu Afusat, disclosed this in a statement on Monday, saying the operation involves personnel from various police formations in Kogi, the Nigerian Army and the Edo State Police Command.
According to the statement, operatives from the Area Command, Okene, 77 Police Mobile Force Squadron, Okene, Okene and Adavi divisions, Anti-Kidnapping Unit and Violent Crime Response Unit are participating in the operation alongside Army personnel from Forward Operating Bases in the area.
The Command said security forces had also strengthened joint operations along the Kogi–Edo border to block possible escape routes, while conducting clearance operations and intelligence-driven patrols in forests linked to the incident.
During the search, operatives discovered and searched suspected criminal hideouts where foodstuffs, cooking ingredients, an Army-pattern jungle hat and a National Identity Card, among other items, were recovered.
The suspected hideouts were subsequently destroyed and set ablaze to prevent criminals from using them again.
However, the Command said no kidnapped victim was recovered during the initial phase of the operation, adding that security forces had continued advancing into the forest and adjoining areas in search of the victims.
The operation continued on Saturday, August 8, with tactical teams advancing towards identified locations of interest along the Ajaokuta and Adoko axes. Drones deployed by the Nigerian Army and Edo State Police Command were also being used to strengthen surveillance and intelligence gathering.
The Commissioner of Police, Kogi State Command, CP Naziru Kankarofi, directed the operational teams to sustain the search until the victims are rescued and the perpetrators brought to justice.
Meanwhile, the Command said it had restored calm in Abugi and adjoining communities following recent reprisal killings in the area.
It said the Area Command, Lokoja, in collaboration with security and community stakeholders, had engaged traditional rulers and community leaders to promote reconciliation and peaceful coexistence.
The State Criminal Investigation Department has also commenced a full-scale investigation to identify and apprehend persons who participated in or contributed to the killings.
The Police said personnel remained strategically deployed in the affected communities to prevent further violence and protect lives and property, while normalcy had returned to Abugi and its environs.
The Commissioner urged residents to remain calm, law-abiding and vigilant, while promptly providing security agencies with credible information on suspicious movements and activities.