Benue: Army troops rescue soldier, lieutenant, others from kidnappers’ den

Troops of the Nigerian Army have successfully rescued a serving soldier, Warrant Officer Ogbonna Charles and a senior military officer, Lieutenant Bot Elisha among others from a kidnappers’ den in Benue State.

The rescue was conducted through various operations as part of the Army’s counter-terrorism operations aimed at tackling the activities of kidnappers in the state.

The Warrant Officer was reported to have been kidnapped on May 25, 2024, at Goh Area of Gwer West Local Government Area of the State.

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According to the Army in a statement on Thursday, Charles who was rescued during the troops’ search and rescue operation is currently undergoing medical checks following his rescue.

Meanwhile, the Senior Military Officer, Lieutenant Bot Elisha was rescued alongside 10 Passengers on Thursday, May 30, 2024.

They were reported to have been kidnapped while travelling on board a Peace Mass Transit Bus from Abuja to Port Harcourt.

“The troops, diligently combing known and suspected enclaves of the kidnappers, successfully trailed and freed the victims. All rescued individuals are currently receiving medical attention,” the statement added.

In a related development, troops of the Nigerian Army also raided the hideout of a notorious kidnap syndicate and neutralized three suspected terrorists.

The statement by the army partly reads: “Acting on actionable intelligence, troops raided a notorious kidnap syndicate hideout in Sankara, Ukum Local Government Area, resulting in the neutralization of three terrorists and the rescue of two hostages. 

“The operation also led to the recovery of one AK-47 rifle, one locally fabricated gun, assorted mobile phones, a camouflage uniform, and one motorbike.

“In another significant operation, following an airstrike by the Nigerian Air Force on the hideout of a militia kingpin known as “Full Fire” on 29 May 2024, troops conducted an exploitation mission to the target camp. 

“The operation resulted in the recovery of four Baofeng radios with six chargers, one laptop, two Citel phones, three Samsung tablets, and 22 SIM cards of various networks. Additionally, 2 Moniepoint POS machines, numerous phone batteries, one HP hard drive, various family pictures, one burnt AK-49 rifle, a magazine containing 11 rounds of ammunition, and a pen containing 30 cows were seized.”