A joint military task force has rescued Ofor Amobi, a senior Nigerian Army officer, and Ikechukwu Onwuanra, a civilian, after a 10-day search-and-rescue operation across forests and communities in Enugu state.
According to Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication focused on the Lake Chad region, the victims were rescued in the early hours of Friday following sustained operations by troops.
“The search mission involved personnel of the 82 Division Garrison, 103 Battalion (Rear), the Nigerian Navy Special Boat Service (NN SBS), and the 197 Special Forces Battalion, operating under the leadership of the Commander, 82 Division Garrison, with support from the Air Component,” Makama said.
“According to the sources, between 6:00 p.m. on July 31 and 6:00 a.m. on Aug. 1, the joint troops continued search operations using actionable intelligence across Inyi, Awlaw and Akpugo-Eze forests and adjoining communities in Oji River Local Government Area of Enugu State.
“At about 2:00 a.m., the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Inyi Division alerted the troops to the suspected location of the kidnapped victims.
“The troops immediately mobilised and launched a fighting patrol into the area, where they discovered Lt. Col. Amobi and Mr. Onwuanra abandoned at the edge of a forest. The civilian was found with a gunshot wound.”
Makama said the victims were rescued and evacuated to Inyi before being transferred to the 82 Division medical hospital for treatment and comprehensive medical evaluation.
The publication said preliminary debriefing showed that the victims were blindfolded shortly after their abduction and taken to an unknown location.
The victims told investigators that they were later abandoned in a forest around the Enugu-Anambra border after the kidnappers came under sustained operational pressure.
Makama said military sources attributed the successful rescue to the sustained pressure mounted by the joint force, backed by the air component, which maintained continuous dominance over suspected hideouts and restricted the abductors’ movement throughout the operation.
“The sources said the sustained search-and-rescue mission ultimately forced the kidnappers to abandon the captives and flee,” Makama said.
“Further investigations and follow-up operations are ongoing to identify, track and apprehend those responsible for the abduction.”