The Nigerian Army rescued five kidnapped victims in Kogi State after intensifying a military offensive against criminal hideouts in the region.
Troops from the 12 Brigade launched a combination of air strikes and ground assaults directly targeting known terrorist enclaves hidden deep within the state’s forest areas.
The rescue occurred along the Oshokoshoko-Adankolo route inside the Adankolo Forest, where soldiers from the Forward Operating Base had deployed on a strategic blocking mission.
The military operation caught the criminal group off guard, creating intense pressure on their camps as ground forces advanced rapidly through the bush.
Fearing capture or death from the oncoming troops, the kidnappers panicked and fled the area, scattering in different directions into the thick brush.
Soldiers pushing through the forest encountered the five victims, who had been left behind by their captors during the chaotic retreat.
Preliminary military investigations confirmed the criminals abandoned the hostages solely because the ongoing offensive left them with no choice but to run.
