Troops operating under Sector 1 of Operation UDO KA comprising personnel from the 82 Division Garrison, 103 Battalion, the Nigerian Navy Special Boat Service, and the 197 Special Forces Battalion have successfully rescued a kidnapped senior army officer, Lt. Col. Ofor Amobi, alongside a civilian captive, Mr. Ikechukwu Onwuanra, following a intensive 10-day joint search-and-rescue operation in Enugu State.

The multi-agency task force conducted sustained tactical search operations across the Inyi, Awlaw, and Akpugo-Eze forest axes within Oji River Local Government Area. Following actionable intelligence received from the Divisional Police Officer of the Inyi Police Division at approximately 2:00 a.m., troops deployed a fighting patrol to the target location, discovering both victims abandoned at the edge of a forest along the Enugu-Anambra boundary.

Upon recovery, security personnel confirmed that the civilian captive had sustained a gunshot wound, prompting the immediate evacuation of both individuals to the 82 Division Medical Hospital for emergency treatment and evaluation.

According to an official military operational report released on Saturday, security authorities attributed the successful outcome to relentless operational pressure exerted on criminal elements operating within the sector.

“The victims attributed their rescue to the sustained pressure mounted by the joint troops, which denied the kidnappers freedom of movement and compelled them to abandon their captives,” the military report detailed, noting that preliminary debriefs revealed the victims were blindfolded immediately after abduction before being moved through hidden forest locations.