Troops Rescue 21 Kidnapped Corps Members in Kogi State

On August 31, 2026, a joint security operation led by troops from Headquarters 21 Battalion successfully rescued 21 kidnapped corps members in the Egume and Ochaja forest areas of Kogi State. The operation was initiated following reports of a mass abduction of road users along the Alloma–Ejule–Itobe road axis.

According to Lt Hassan Abdullahi, the Acting Assistant Director Army Public Relations, the operation involved collaboration with local hunters and vigilantes. The rescued victims included 8 males and 13 females, with one male victim sustaining a gunshot wound, who was promptly evacuated for medical treatment.

The Kogi State Police Command confirmed that the operation was ongoing, with efforts to rescue any remaining victims from a recent attack involving two buses. Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, the Chief of Army Staff, commended the troops and urged the public to provide timely information to aid security efforts.

The rescued corps members were expected at the state police headquarters in Lokoja, with one previously rescued victim having been reunited with family in Abuja.