Four residents abducted by suspected bandits in Oke-Ere community, Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State, have regained their freedom following a joint rescue operation carried out by local vigilantes and personnel of the Nigerian Army.
The rescue operation came hours after the victims were abducted by armed assailants who invaded the community in the early hours of Sunday, throwing residents into panic.
SaharaReporters had earlier reported that the gunmen stormed Oke-Ere and abducted four residents, prompting a swift response from local security volunteers and military personnel.
However, the joint security team tracked the kidnappers into the surrounding area, leading to a fierce exchange of gunfire between the security operatives and the armed attackers.
During the gun battle, three of the suspected bandits were neutralised, while several others reportedly escaped into nearby bushes with varying degrees of gunshot injuries.
The four abducted victims were successfully rescued unharmed during the operation and reunited with their families.
However, the operation came at a heavy cost as a member of the local vigilante group, identified simply as Baba Glo, a native of Oke-Ere community, was killed while confronting the kidnappers.
Residents described Baba Glo as one of the community’s most committed vigilante members, saying he paid the ultimate price while defending his people against the attackers.
Earlier, it was reported that the attack occurred in the early hours of Sunday when the victims were ambushed by the gunmen while heading to a river within the community.
The victims were identified as Tunde, Stephen, and two Hausa residents. According to sources, the four residents were on their way to a river known as Liberia in Oke-Ere when the suspected bandits intercepted them and whisked them away to an unknown destination.
A local platform, Egba Mekun Parrot, quoting a source familiar with the incident, reported that personnel of the Nigerian Army had since been deployed to the area and had launched a search-and-rescue operation aimed at securing the release of the abducted victims.
The abduction came barely a day after Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, passed out 530 pioneer Forest Guards in Lokoja and charged them with defending the state against criminal elements.
(SaharaReporters)