Troops of the Nigerian army have rescued 13 kidnap victims along Ngodo-Isuochi Road in Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia state.
The Director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu who disclosed this in a statement on Monday, said the troops rescued the victims in response to a distress call on Saturday.
Brigadier General Nwachukwu said the troops arrived the scene of the incident following a distress call on Saturday 22 July 2023, where they discovered that a Sienna SUV and an L300 Mitsubishi bus with Registration Number UWN 190 AL Enugu had been attacked by kidnappers.
He said the passengers were taken into hostage as the abductors escaped into surrounding forests.
According to the statement, “The troops on getting additional information from witnesses at the scene, went in pursuit of the kidnappers, trailing them into the bushes.
“During the search and rescue operation, troops initially extricated five victims on the first day of the search and rescue operation, while further search on Sunday 23 July 2023 led to the rescue of additional eight victims, totalling 13 rescued persons.” The statement noted.
The army spokesman said the rescued victims have been handed over to the Nigerian Police in Umunne Ochi.
He appealed to all Nigerians to continue to support the troops and other security agencies with timely and actionable information, as they combat security challenges across the country.
