A group of Vigilante operatives in Kogi State has rescued 134 victims allegedly abducted from various parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and held down in forests located in Kogi and Nasarawa States.
A statement signed by Onogwu Muhammed, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor Yahaya Bello, on Monday in Lokoja said the victims were rescued during recent operations of the Kogi vigilantes.
According to him, the vigilante operatives stormed the hideouts of kidnappers in the Odullo forest of Kogi and Sardauna in Nasarawa State where they rescued the victims.
The victims, the statement said, were abducted from Abaji, Kuje and Kwali in FCT, as well as Toto Council Area of Nasarawa.
Dauda Aliyu, Chairman of Kogi Koton-Karfe Local Government Area who received the rescued victims as they breathed the air of freedom, commended the vigilantes for their bravery.
The statement further said that the Council boss ensured that the victims were properly reunited with their families in their respective LGAs as he acknowledged support of the State Government for security agencies in the state.
The statement noted that about 92 vigilantes participated in the operation at the Odullo Forest in Kogi LGA from where they advanced to Sardauna in Nasarawa State on the rescue mission.
Aliyu applauded Governor Yahaya Bello’s unflinching support to the vigilance groups which according to him, have demonstrated unrivalled commitment to the fight against insecurity in the state.
Cmdr. Jerry Omodara (rtd), Kogi State Security Adviser, also commended the vigilantes and other security agencies in the state for their efforts at fighting crime in the state and beyond.
Omodara said that Governor Yahaya Bello’s administration would continue to make the state uninhabitable for criminals as he reiterated the Governor’s commitment to making Kogi the safest state in Nigeria.