Troops of the 12 Brigade,
Nigerian Army, Lokoja,have rescued 23 bus passengers abducted by bandits on the Ayegunle‑Bunu-Obajana Road in Kogi State in the early hours of Monday, June 1, 2026.
A statement from Army Headquarters, said troops responded to a distress call at about 3:30 a.m. reporting that armed men had barricaded the highway and abducted several travellers.
“Troops deployed in the Kabba area mobilised immediately, pursued the attackers and discovered two abandoned Toyota commercial buses and a HOWO truck during an assessment of the scene,” the statement said.
The Army said sustained pressure during the pursuit forced the kidnappers to abandon 23 captives, who were rescued unharmed.
The statement confirmed that two people were killed during the attack, while five others were wounded.
It said the injured were evacuated to St. Joseph Hospital, Kabba, for treatment.
“Troops have continued to dominate the general area and are conducting intensive search‑and‑rescue operations aimed at locating and safely recovering any remaining victims still in captivity,” the statement said.
The rescue comes amid intensified military operations in Kogi State under Operation Tiger Paw II.
The Army reiterated its commitment to denying criminal groups freedom of action and urged the public to provide credible, timely information to aid ongoing operations to locate any remaining victims and apprehend those responsible.
(vitalnewsngr.com)
