Security forces deploy drones as manhunt intensifies for victims abducted on Okene-Auchi Road
Security forces have launched a massive search and rescue operation across forests in Kogi State following a brazen kidnapping along the Okene-Auchi Road, with troops destroying suspected criminal hideouts and deploying drones to track down the abductors.
The operation, involving the police, Nigerian Army, and Edo State Police Command, has focused on the Ebiya Forest and adjoining areas, where security teams have recovered foodstuffs, an Army-pattern jungle hat, and a National Identity Card abandoned by fleeing suspects.
“Security teams have identified and searched suspected criminal hideouts… The suspected hideouts were subsequently destroyed and set ablaze to prevent the criminals from returning,” said ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat, Kogi Police Public Relations Officer.
Manhunt Intensifies
While no victims have been recovered in the initial phase, CP Naziru Bello Kankarofi has ordered operational teams to “sustain the search and rescue operation until the victims are safely recovered and the perpetrators apprehended.”
Drones deployed by the Nigerian Army and Edo Police Command are providing technical support for surveillance and intelligence gathering across the forest corridors.
Calm Restored in Abugi
In a separate development, the command reported that calm has been restored to Abugi and adjoining communities following recent reprisal killings. The State Criminal Investigation Department has launched a full-scale investigation, with security personnel strategically deployed to prevent further escalation.
“Anyone found culpable would be prosecuted in accordance with the law,” the command warned.
The Commissioner appealed to residents to remain vigilant and provide timely information to assist ongoing operations.
