The Kogi State government has commended security agencies for rescuing 21 people abducted along a major road in Dekina Local Government Area, describing the operation as a successful demonstration of intelligence-led coordination.
The rescued victims include 15 members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and six other persons.
They were rescued on Monday, August 31, 2026, during a joint operation involving troops of the 12 Brigade of the army, the police, the Department of State Services (DSS), local hunters and vigilante groups.
The operation followed reports that travellers had been abducted along the Alloma-Ejule-Itobe Road corridor.
According to the state government, security personnel, acting on credible intelligence, searched the Egume and Ochaja forest areas where the victims were eventually located and rescued.
The victims comprised eight males and 13 females. One of the rescued men sustained a gunshot injury during the incident and was immediately taken to a medical facility for treatment.
Reacting to the development, Governor Usman Ododo commended the security personnel involved in the operation for their courage and effective coordination.
The governor also expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for supporting the nation’s security agencies in the fight against kidnapping and other violent crimes.
“Criminals will always regret setting foot in Kogi State. We will never wag our tails before cowards who take arms against the state. Kogi is always ready to obliterate any threat to lives and property in the state,” Ododo said.
The governor also commended local security operatives and other personnel who participated in the rescue mission.
According to Ododo, the successful operation demonstrated the importance of cooperation among conventional security agencies and community-based security structures.
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The governor assured residents that his administration would continue to strengthen collaboration with security agencies to improve the protection of lives and property across Kogi State.
He also called on residents to remain alert and provide security agencies with timely and credible information that could assist in preventing kidnappings and other criminal activities.
The state government said the rescue further underscored the importance of intelligence sharing and coordinated operations in tackling insecurity across Kogi State.
