A joint military task force has successfully rescued a senior Nigerian Army officer, Lt. Col. Ofor Amobi, along with a civilian, Mr. Ikechukwu Onwuanra, following an intensive 10-day search-and-rescue mission across forests and communities in Enugu State.
The rescue was confirmed in a military operational report released in Abuja on Saturday, August 1, 2026. According to the report, the breakthrough came in the early hours of Saturday after sustained operations by troops under Sector 1 of Operation UDO KA (OPUK).
The mission brought together personnel from the 82 Division Garrison, 103 Battalion (Rear), the Nigerian Navy Special Boat Service (NN SBS), and the 197 Special Forces Battalion. The operation was coordinated by the Commander of the 82 Division Garrison, with aerial support provided by the Air Component.
Military authorities said troops carried out intelligence-led operations between 6:00 p.m. on July 31 and 6:00 a.m. on August 1, combing forests in Inyi, Awlaw, and Akpugo-Eze, as well as nearby communities in Oji River Local Government Area of Enugu State.
At about 2:00 a.m., the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the Inyi Division reportedly alerted the troops to the suspected location of the kidnapped victims. Acting on the information, soldiers launched an immediate fighting patrol into the area.
The operation led to the discovery of Lt. Col. Amobi and Mr. Onwuanra, who had been abandoned near the edge of a forest. The civilian was found with a gunshot wound and was given immediate medical attention.
Both victims were evacuated to Inyi before being transferred to the 82 Division Medical Hospital, where they are receiving treatment and undergoing further medical evaluation.
During an initial debriefing, the rescued victims revealed that they had been blindfolded shortly after being abducted and taken to an unknown location. They said the kidnappers later abandoned them in a forest near the Enugu–Anambra border as security forces intensified operations in the area.
The military credited the successful rescue to sustained pressure from the joint task force, backed by continuous aerial surveillance that restricted the kidnappers’ movement and disrupted their activities throughout the operation.
Security agencies have since launched follow-up investigations and are continuing efforts to identify, track, and arrest those responsible for the abduction.
