## BREAKING: Army Rescues 17 Kidnap Victims in Kogi Ambush Rescue

Army Rescues 17 Kidnap Victims in Kogi Ambush Rescue 

**LOKOJA, Kogi State** – A routine patrol along the Obajana-Lokoja Road turned into a lightning rescue operation Wednesday when Nigerian Army troops intercepted fleeing kidnappers and freed 17 terrified hostages, including four young children. 

The drama unfolded near Opamaru Village after troops from the 12 Brigade Patrol Base received urgent intelligence: a 17-seater bus traveling from Osun State to Abuja had been hijacked hours earlier. Soldiers arrived to find the vehicle abandoned, doors gaping open, luggage strewn across the road. 

"They vanished like ghosts into the bush," said Lt. Hassan Abdullahi, 12 Brigade spokesperson. "But trails don't lie." 

Using trackers skilled in reading broken foliage and disturbed earth, soldiers pursued the kidnappers' path to Wuro Village (Adavi LGA). What followed was a brief, brutal exchange of gunfire. Outgunned, the bandits abandoned their captives mid-retreat—vanishing into the forest with gunshot wounds. 

The rescued passengers, visibly shaken but physically stable, received immediate medical care at the Brigade Medical Centre. Among them was Hajia Bello, 62, who clutched her granddaughter throughout the ordeal: "We heard the soldiers' boots crashing through the trees before we saw them. That sound... it was salvation." 

**Why This Matters:** 
- **Swift Response:** From distress call to rescue: under 3 hours. 
- **Zero Casualties:** All hostages recovered unharmed. 
- **Bandits Neutralized:** Security sources confirm blood trails indicate multiple injuries among kidnappers. 

The Nigerian Army reaffirmed its commitment to "relentless operations" against kidnappers plaguing major transit corridors. Citizens are urged to report suspicious movements via emergency hotlines. 

**Eyewitness Account:** 
*Samuel Ojo, driver of a nearby tanker:* "I saw soldiers sprinting into the bush like cheetahs. Minutes later—gunshots. Then women and children stumbling out, crying, hugging the uniforms." 

**The Road Ahead:** 
Military checkpoints along Obajana-Lokoja Road have been reinforced tonight. As one officer noted while rehydrating rescued children: "This isn't over. We hunt until these roads breathe easy again." 

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