MILITARY FREES 21 KIDNAP VICTIMS, INCLUDING 15 NYSC MEMBERS, IN KOGI

The Nigerian military has rescued 21 people who were abducted in Kogi State, including 15 members of the National Youth Service Corps, as security forces intensify operations against criminal groups across the country.

The victims, comprising eight males and 13 females, were rescued from the Egume-Ochaja forest area in Kogi State, according to the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja.

Onoja announced the development on Monday, saying the successful operation was carried out within the Egume and Ochaja forest stretch under the military's 2 Division area of operations. He described the rescue as part of ongoing efforts by the Armed Forces of Nigeria to locate and safely recover people abducted by criminal elements.

Fifteen of the rescued victims were NYSC members who were among those abducted last week while travelling from Abuja to Bayelsa State. Their rescue comes days after the attack on the vehicles conveying the corps members raised concerns over their safety.

The military said the operation involved sustained efforts to track the victims and locate the areas where they were being held. Intelligence sharing and cooperation with other security agencies and relevant state institutions also contributed to the operation.

Onoja said the military had continued to identify areas requiring security intervention while strengthening collaboration among security agencies to respond more effectively to kidnapping and other criminal activities.

The latest rescue comes amid renewed military operations in different parts of the country, particularly following recent abductions in Niger State. The military said its troops were maintaining pressure on criminal and terrorist elements while working to deny them freedom of movement and access to vulnerable communities.

Onoja also cited the August 5 rescue of 308 abducted persons, predominantly women and children, from the Kainji Lake National Park as evidence of the security forces' ongoing efforts to locate and recover kidnapped Nigerians.

He assured Nigerians that the Armed Forces would continue operations aimed at rescuing abducted citizens, disrupting criminal networks and restoring security in affected communities.

The rescue of the 21 victims is expected to bring relief to their families, particularly relatives of the NYSC members who had been waiting anxiously for their safe return.