Two Kidnappers Quashed, Dangerous Arms Recovered as Troops Rescue Three Victim

By Izunna Okafor, Awka

No fewer than two suspected kidnappers were neutralized as the gallant troops of Sector 1, Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), in conjunction with the Benue State Civil Protection Guards rescued three abducted victims during a gun battle in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State.

According to sources, the operation which was conducted at about 3:00 a.m. happened at the Tse-Togo and Utenge communities following intelligence on the activities of armed kidnappers in the area and how they had been terrorizing the residents.

It was gathered that the fearless troops engaged the criminals in a fierce gun battle, killing two of the suspected kidnappers and successfully rescuing three kidnapped victims unharmed.

In the course of the operation, troops raided the kidnappers’ hideouts and recovered one AK-47 rifle, one G3 rifle, one pistol, 19 AK-47 magazines, one G3 magazine, 181 rounds of 7.62mm Special ammunition, 40 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition, nine rounds of 5.56×45mm ammunition, two pairs of woodland camouflage uniforms, two pairs of desert camouflage uniforms, one Point-of-Sale (POS) terminal and one Tetron communication device.

Reports have it that the recovered items have been taken into custody, while the rescued victims have been reunited with their families after preliminary profiling.

Reacting to the development, the military said clearance operations would be sustained across the area to track down other fleeing members of the kidnapping syndicate and dismantle their remaining hideouts to bring a stop to their nefarious activities.