Troops of the Nigerian Army have rescued a kidnapped senior military officer, Lieutenant Colonel Ofor Amobi, and a civilian, Ikechukwu Onwuanra, following a ten day joint search and rescue operation across forests in Oji River Local Government Area of Enugu State.

According to a military operational report, troops from Operation Udo Ka, comprising personnel from multiple units including the Nigerian Navy Special Boat Service, conducted intensive searches across several forest communities before receiving intelligence early Friday on the victims’ location from a local police division. Troops immediately launched a patrol and found both victims, who had sustained gunshot wounds, abandoned at the edge of a forest, and evacuated them for medical treatment.

Preliminary interrogation revealed the victims had been blindfolded and transported before being abandoned near the Enugu-Anambra border, with the report noting that sustained pressure from joint troops denied the kidnappers freedom of movement and forced them to abandon their captives. Further details on the operation are expected to follow.