Troops intercept ransom drop, rescue two victims after Kogi firefight

Troops of the Nigerian Army’s 12 Brigade deployed at the Forward Operating Base in Oguma have rescued two kidnapped victims and recovered N3.8 million ransom money during a counter-kidnapping operation in Kogi State. The operation took place on Sunday along the troubled Itobe–Adumu–Ejule axis, where kidnapping activities have intensified in recent months.

The rescue followed intelligence indicating that families of abducted persons were on their way to deliver ransom payments to secure the release of their loved ones. Acting on the report, soldiers launched a mission to locate the criminals and prevent the transaction.

According to a statement issued on Monday by Hassan Abdullahi, the acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations for the 12 Brigade, Hassan Abdullahi, troops on patrol headed towards Achigili Forest a suspected hideout for criminal elements. However, the soldiers came under heavy fire from the kidnappers who attempted to prevent them from disrupting the ransom exchange.

An exchange of gunfire ensued, during which the troops reportedly overpowered the assailants with “superior firepower.” The armed group eventually abandoned two kidnap victims along with the ransom cash and fled deep into the forest, allegedly with gunshot wounds.

Abdullahi said the N3,800,000 earmarked as ransom was recovered intact, and the victims were safely rescued with no injuries. The rescued individuals were later debriefed to support ongoing intelligence efforts. The money was also returned to their families, while the victims remain in secure custody pending a formal handover to relevant authorities.

Reassuring residents, the Army spokesperson emphasised that the Nigerian Army remains “resolute and unwavering” in its commitment to safeguarding lives and property across the state and the country at large. He urged the public to maintain strong cooperation with security forces by providing timely information capable of exposing criminal hideouts and movements.

Sunday’s successful operation is the latest in a series of anti-kidnapping interventions led by the 12 Brigade, which has stepped up security actions in Kogi amid rising concerns over banditry and ransom-driven abductions.

The Brigade has recently recorded significant breakthroughs in dismantling criminal networks. In October, troops working jointly with the police and local vigilantes stormed and set ablaze a bandits’ camp on the outskirts of Aherin-Bunu community in Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area. The coordinated strike was led by jerry Omodarathe the State Security Adviser,

Similarly, in September, security forces under Operation Accord III neutralised a notorious bandit commander identified as Babangida Kachala. He was alleged to be the deputy to the feared Kachala Shuaibu, whose gang had terrorised communities around the Masalaci Boka and Ofere Forest corridors.