The Nigerian Army troops of Joint Task Force Sector One, Operation Udo Ka (OPUK), have reportedly rescued 14 kidnapped victims during a coordinated assault on a suspected criminal camp in Orokam Forest, between Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State and Ogbadigbo Local Government Area of Benue State.
It was learnt that the operation, launched at about 1:30pm on Friday, followed actionable intelligence from residents who alerted security forces to suspicious movements and a potential kidnap cell operating deep within the forest belt.
Accounding to reports, the troops deployed in Udenu moved swiftly and were joined by local vigilante personnel before storming the enclave.
However, the bandits, reportedly armed with automatic rifles, opened fire on sighting the advancing security team — an action that triggered a sustained response.
“The joint team responded with heavy firepower, forcing the criminals to scatter into the bushes and abandon their captives,” one of the sources familiar with the operation said.
The 14 victims — men and women returning from a burial ceremony before their abduction took place — were freed unharmed.
Preliminary debriefings revealed that the hostages were seized on two separate routes: Ezimo Agu in Udenu LGA, Enugu State, and Orokam in Ogbadigbo LGA, Benue State.
The army unit, according to operational details, expended 70 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition during the firefight. No casualty was recorded on the side of the joint team, and troops reportedly withdrew from the forest at exactly 7:21 p.m.
All rescued victims have since been handed over to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Udenu for processing and reunification with their families, a source added.
The forest axis where the operation occurred has long been flagged by security analysts as an expanding criminal corridor exploited by kidnap-for-ransom syndicates moving seamlessly between Enugu and Benue.
In the past year, both states have recorded recurring abduction incidents linked to the same bush paths.
According to the report, fresh surveillance operations are underway to prevent the regrouping of fleeing gunmen, many of whom are believed to be part of a wider network connected to cross-border banditry.
“Troops are maintaining aggressive patrols and aerial watch to deny these elements any freedom of movement,” one intelligence officer said, insisting that the military would not relax pressure despite Friday’s success.
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