A joint security operation involving the Department of State Services (DSS), Kwara State Forest Guards, local hunters, and vigilantes has rescued nine kidnapped victims and killed three suspected bandits during a gun battle in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The operation, carried out in the Obbo Aiyegunle, Ejiu Ora, and Osi axis bordering Ekiti and Niger states, was based on intelligence reports that kidnappers were moving victims through the forest.
According to local authorities, the victims included farmers abducted from their farmlands as well as people kidnapped in neighboring Ekiti State. Security operatives intercepted the gang, leading to a fierce exchange of gunfire that forced the kidnappers to flee, abandoning their captives.
Officials said the armed gang, believed to consist of more than 10 members, had gathered victims from different locations before the security team launched the rescue mission.
One of the rescued victims sustained serious head injuries after being attacked with a machete while resisting abduction and is currently receiving medical treatment.
A rescued victim, Umaru Muazu, recalled that gunmen suddenly emerged, held him and his son at gunpoint, stole a motorcycle, and marched them into the forest before security forces intervened.
A member of the Kwara Forest Guards confirmed that three suspected bandits were neutralized during the operation, while others escaped with injuries. He also called for improved operational equipment, including body armor, binoculars, night-vision goggles, communication devices, and additional ammunition.
The Kwara State Police Command noted that the DSS oversees the state's forest guard operations.
The latest rescue mission follows recent security offensives against kidnapping gangs in Kwara, including an operation two weeks ago that rescued two abducted siblings after security operatives raided criminal hideouts in the state.
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