By Isaac Mission
A joint military task force has successfully rescued a senior Nigerian Army officer, Lt. Col. Ofor Amobi, and a civilian, Mr. Ikechukwu Onwuanra, ten days after they were abducted in Enugu State.
The rescue operation was reportedly carried out in the early hours of Saturday following coordinated search efforts by troops under Sector 1 of Operation UDO KA.
According to security information shared by counter-insurgency analyst Zagazola Makama, the mission involved personnel from the 82 Division Garrison, 103 Battalion (Rear), the Nigerian Navy Special Boat Service (NN SBS), and the 197 Special Forces Battalion, with aerial support from the Air Component. The operation was coordinated by the Commander of the 82 Division Garrison.
Security sources disclosed that troops carried out extensive clearance operations between the evening of July 31 and the early hours of August 1 across the forests of Inyi, Awlaw, Akpugo-Eze and neighbouring communities in Oji River Local Government Area, acting on credible intelligence.
At about 2:00 a.m., the Divisional Police Officer of the Inyi Division alerted the military to the suspected location of the victims. Troops immediately launched a patrol to the area, where they found Lt. Col. Amobi and Mr. Onwuanra abandoned at the edge of a forest.
The civilian was discovered with a gunshot injury, while both victims were safely evacuated to Inyi before being transferred to the 82 Division Medical Hospital for treatment and further medical assessment.
During initial questioning, the victims reportedly said they were blindfolded shortly after being kidnapped and taken to an undisclosed location. They explained that their captors later abandoned them in a forest near the Enugu-Anambra boundary as security forces intensified operations in the area.
Military sources attributed the successful rescue to sustained pressure from the joint security team, supported by continuous aerial surveillance that restricted the movement of the kidnappers throughout the operation.
Security agencies have since launched efforts to identify, track and apprehend those responsible for the abduction.
