Nigerian Army saves woman and baby after kidnapping in Kogi

Troops from the Nigerian Army have saved a woman and her six-month-old baby after a kidnapping in Egbe, Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State.

The Acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations, 12 Brigade Nigerian Army, Hassan Abdullahi, shared this news in a statement on Thursday.

Mr Abdullahi said the two were rescued after troops acted on a distress call and chased the kidnappers.

The incident happened late on Wednesday when armed men attacked a home near Solid Rock School in the Ijalu area of Egbe. They kidnapped five family members.

These victims included the woman, her infant, and three others.

"After we received the distress call, troops quickly moved out with members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN), starting a chase along the route the kidnappers took," he said.

Mr Abdullahi said that the pressure from the troops and local vigilantes made the kidnappers leave Adekemi Idowu and her six-month-old baby near the Oro area before they ran away.

He added that the rescued woman and her baby were safely brought back to their family. Security forces are still searching for the other victims and trying to catch those behind the attack.

This rescue comes as military actions against kidnappers and other criminals are stepping up across Kogi State.

As reported earlier by PREMIUM TIMES, troops from the 12 Brigade recently rescued 23 passengers who were kidnapped along the Ayegunle-Bunu Road in Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area. This happened after gunmen blocked the road and took travelers in the early hours of June 1.

The military stated that two people died and five others were hurt during the attack. Troops also recovered abandoned vehicles and forced the kidnappers to release many captives during their chase.

The Nigerian Army said it is dedicated to protecting lives and property. They encouraged the public to continue giving timely and reliable information to support ongoing security efforts.

Security agencies are stepping up their surveillance and search activities across Kogi State as they work to reduce the rising cases of kidnappings and violent attacks on communities and main roads.