Troops of the 4 Brigade Nigerian Army, under the 2 Division, in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force, have rescued an abducted victim and killed a kidnapper during a coordinated operation in Ubiaja, Esan South-East Local Government Area of Edo State.

The Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 4 Brigade Nigerian Army, Kennedy Anyanwu, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, saying the operation followed credible intelligence on the abduction of Lucky Egbiki, 50, who was kidnapped at his farm in Okehussan, Ubiaja, Esan South-East Local Government Area of the state.

According to the statement, the rescue operation was conducted at about 6 pm on August 6, 2026, by troops in conjunction with personnel of the Nigeria Police Force.

Anyanwu said the security forces exploited ransom negotiations to lure the kidnappers to a predetermined location at Onogholo, within Esan South-East Local Government Area, where they engaged the criminal elements.

He stated that during the encounter, one of the kidnappers who arrived at the location to collect the ransom was killed by the troops, forcing the other members of the gang to abandon the victim and flee into the surrounding forest, with some believed to have sustained gunshot wounds.

The troops subsequently rescued the victim unhurt and recovered the N1.5m intended as ransom payment.

The rescued victim was handed over to his family after preliminary debriefing and medical assessment and was confirmed to be in stable condition.

The statement partly read, “Troops of 4 Brigade Nigerian Army, under the 2 Division, in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force, have rescued an abducted victim and killed a kidnapper during a coordinated operation in Ubiaja, Esan South East Local Government Area of Edo State.

“During the encounter, one of the kidnappers who arrived at the location to collect the ransom was neutralised by the troops, forcing the other members of the gang to abandon the victim and flee into the surrounding forest, with some believed to have sustained gunshot wounds.”

Anyanwu said that in a follow-up clearance operation conducted on August 7 and 8, 2026, troops aggressively combed the surrounding forest in an effort to track the fleeing kidnappers. However, no further contact was made with the criminal elements.

He stated that the successful operation further demonstrated the Nigerian Army’s operational readiness, intelligence-driven approach and commitment to combating kidnapping and other forms of violent crime in Edo State.

The Army spokesman said the operation underscored the importance of inter-agency collaboration in enhancing the effectiveness of security operations.

He urged the people of Edo State to continue providing timely, credible and actionable information to security agencies, as such support remained vital to sustaining operational successes and enhancing security across the state.

Meanwhile, the Commander, 4 Brigade Nigerian Army, Brigadier General Ahmed Balogun, commended the troops for their proactiveness, courage and professionalism displayed during the operation.

He reassured the people of Edo State that the Brigade would continue to apply sustained pressure on kidnappers and other criminal elements operating within its area of responsibility.

The Commander further affirmed that troops would sustain aggressive and intelligence-led operations aimed at denying criminal elements safe havens, protecting lives and property, and creating a secure environment for farming and other legitimate economic activities across Edo State.