By RismadarVoice Media, December 10, 2025
Troops of the Nigerian Army’s Joint Task Force Sector 1, Operation Udo Ka (OPUK), have rescued 14 kidnapped victims during a coordinated assault on a suspected criminal hideout in the Orokam forest axis, located between Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State and Ogbadigbo Local Government Area of Benue State.
The operation, conducted at about 1:30pm on Friday, December 5, 2025 was launched following credible intelligence from residents who reported suspicious movement and the presence of a potential kidnap cell, deep within the forest.
According to security sources, troops stationed in Udenu, swiftly mobilized, reinforced by local vigilante personnel before storming the enclave.
The armed gang, reportedly equipped with automatic rifles, opened fire upon sighting the advancing security team, prompting a sustained return of fire.
“The joint team responded with heavy firepower, forcing the criminals to scatter into the bushes and abandon their captives,” a source familiar with the operation said.
The rescued victims, who were abducted while returning from a burial ceremony, were freed unharmed.
Preliminary findings indicate that they were taken on two different routes: Ezimo Agu in Udenu LGA, Enugu State, and Orokam in Ogbadigbo LGA, Benue State.
Operational details show that the troops expended 70 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition during the firefight.
No casualty was recorded on the side of the security team, which withdrew from the forest at about 7:21pm after completing the mission.
All rescued persons have been handed over to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Udenu for documentation and eventual reunification with their families.
Security analysts say the forest corridor where the rescue took place has long served as an operational hub for kidnap-for-ransom syndicates, who exploit the porous terrain to move between Enugu and Benue states.
Both states have witnessed an uptick in similar incidents over the past years.
Fresh surveillance and clearance operations are now underway to prevent the regrouping of fleeing gunmen, believed to be linked to a wider cross-border banditry network.
“Troops are maintaining aggressive patrols and aerial watch to deny these elements any freedom of movement,” an intelligence officer said. Adding that the military would sustain pressure despite Friday’s success.
