Troops of the Nigerian Army have rescued 23 passengers who were abducted by suspected gunmen on the Ayegunle‑Bunu Road in Kabba‑Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State, the Army said on Monday.
According to a statement from Army Headquarters, soldiers responded to a distress call at about 3:30 a.m. reporting that armed men had barricaded the highway and taken several travellers. Troops deployed in the Kabba area mobilised immediately, pursued the attackers and discovered two abandoned Toyota commercial buses and a HOWO truck during an assessment of the scene.
The Army said sustained pressure during the pursuit forced the kidnappers to abandon 23 captives, who were rescued unharmed. Two people were killed during the attack, and five others were wounded; the injured were evacuated to St. Joseph Hospital, Kabba, for treatment.
“Troops have continued to dominate the general area and are conducting intensive search‑and‑rescue operations aimed at locating and safely recovering any remaining victims still in captivity,” the statement said.
Local reports earlier described an attack in Ayegunle‑Bunu in which armed men killed at least one person and abducted more than 15 others, including passengers travelling in a commercial vehicle. The incident has heightened concerns about insecurity in Kogi West and along routes linking Kogi with neighbouring states.
The rescue comes amid intensified military operations in Kogi State under Operation Tiger Paw II. In recent weeks, troops of the 12 Brigade conducted a prolonged search‑and‑rescue mission to free victims abducted from the Daarul‑Kitab Islamic Orphanage in Zariagi, Lokoja, and security forces have reported arrests and weapons recoveries in the region.
The Army reiterated its commitment to denying criminal groups freedom of action and urged the public to provide credible, timely information to aid ongoing operations to locate any remaining victims and apprehend those responsible.
