The Nigerian Army has rescued nine commuters abducted by suspected kidnappers along the Ajaokuta–Itobe Road in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State, in the second major rescue operation reported in the area within two days.
In a statement posted to its official X account, the Army said troops of 21 Battalion, deployed at Patrol Base Itobe, responded to a distress report of an attack on commuters along the route. On arrival, they found a Toyota Hiace bus and a Toyota Sienna abandoned by the roadside, with the passengers already taken away.
The troops launched a pursuit operation, tracing the kidnappers' withdrawal route to the outskirts of Adumu community in neighbouring Dekina Local Government Area, where they engaged the suspects in a gun battle. The Army said the exchange forced the kidnappers to abandon their captives and flee into the surrounding bush.
The nine rescued victims — two elderly men, two elderly women, four men, and an infant — were evacuated to safety and handed over to the Nigeria Police's Itobe Area Command for further action and reunification with their families.
The rescue follows a separate operation two days earlier, on August 9, in which a joint team of soldiers, naval personnel, police, local vigilantes, and hunters rescued 16 people abducted along the nearby Ojuwo–Ajengo–Memarebo and Ojiwo–Itobe roads. One hunter was killed during that earlier operation. Together, the two rescues account for 25 people freed from the same general area within a single week, underscoring how frequently the Ofu–Dekina axis has become a target for roadside kidnapping gangs.
The Army said troops remained in pursuit of the fleeing kidnappers, with coordinated search operations ongoing to recover any remaining victims and apprehend those responsible. It reaffirmed its commitment to protecting lives and property in collaboration with other security agencies, and urged the public to share timely, credible information that could help rapid-response efforts.