Troops Rescue 19 Kidnap Victims After Gun Battle With Suspects in Abuja

By Zainab Uzomah|Abuja

Troops of the Nigerian Army’s Guards Brigade have rescued 19 people who were kidnapped in the Bwari area of Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, during a joint operation with police and local vigilantes.

According to a statement signed by Lieutenant Olawuyi Odunola Itunuoluwa, Acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations at the Guards Brigade Headquarters, the rescue followed a search operation launched after intelligence reports on the location of the kidnappers.

The operation took place around Gidan Dogo in Bwari Area Council, where troops from the 7 Guards Battalion made contact with the suspected kidnappers. A firefight followed, during which one of the suspects was killed while others fled with what the army believes were gunshot wounds.Security forces later recovered an AK-47 rifle and a locally made firearm during a search of the area. The 19 victims abducted from the Byazhin area of Bwari were rescued and taken to safety.

The army said the troops have since returned to their forward operating base in Bwari while the rescued victims are receiving care.

Commander of the Guards Brigade, Brigadier General Adebisi Olusegun Onasanya, praised the troops and other security agencies involved in the operation. He said the brigade remained committed to protecting residents of the Federal Capital Territory and would continue joint operations to combat kidnapping and other criminal activities in the area.