Troops from Operation Whirl Stroke have successfully rescued eleven people, including two serving police inspectors, from suspected kidnappers’ camps in Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State.
The rescued victims include four females and seven males who had endured weeks of captivity under harsh conditions before military intervention secured their freedom.
Inspector Odah Patrick recounted his traumatic abduction experience during an interview with Arise TV, describing how armed criminals intercepted him while traveling home on medical leave. “On the 14th, I was granted leave due to my health condition. So, I was abducted on my way home around 8 p.m. in the night. I saw a place like a checking point, then two armed men rushed to my car and they asked me to step out. After I stepped out, they collected my phone, collected all the money I have. So, one of them gripped me and dragged me into the bush,” he recalled.
The other inspector, Inspector John Ngbede faced an even more harrowing ordeal, spending 48 days in the kidnappers’ camp after his abduction on June 16th while traveling between duty stations. Ngbede explained that the criminals captured him during his commute between Zaki Biam and Wukari, a local government area in Taraba State.
The inspector revealed that kidnappers subjected him to “torture and starvation” throughout his captivity period. Ngbede disclosed that “the kidnappers had collected about 3.5 million naira ransom from him but they had refused to release him to his people.
Operation Whirl Strike troops executed a coordinated air and ground assault across multiple locations to secure the victims’ rescue. The military operation targeted Tse-Ahur and Chito areas within Ukum Local Government of Benue State.
Strategic planning extended beyond the primary rescue zone, with troops establishing blocking positions in Gindin Mangoro, Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State, to prevent fleeing insurgents from escaping the operational area.
Find Verified News At Your fingertips Click The Button Below
