Nigerian Troops Free 14 Hostages After Fierce Shootout in Orokam Forest

Nigerian troops have rescued 14 kidnapped victims after a fierce gun battle in Orokam Forest, a densely wooded area straddling Udenu in Enugu State and Ogbadigbo in Benue State. The operation, carried out by troops of Joint Task Force Sector One under Operation Udo Ka, was launched around 1:30 p.m. on Friday following intelligence from residents who reported unusual activity linked to a suspected kidnap cell.

Soldiers deployed from Udenu advanced into the forest with support from local vigilante personnel. Armed bandits guarding the camp reportedly opened fire as the team approached, prompting a heavy response that forced the attackers to flee and abandon their captives.

The rescued individuals, men and women returning from a burial ceremony before they were seized, were found unharmed. Early accounts show they had been abducted along two separate routes: Ezimo Agu in Udenu and Orokam in Ogbadigbo. Troops used 70 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition during the confrontation and recorded no casualties. They completed the withdrawal from the forest at 7:21 p.m.

All victims have been handed over to the Divisional Police Officer in Udenu for documentation and reunification with their families. Security experts have long warned that the Orokam–Udenu forest corridor has become a hotspot for kidnap-for-ransom groups who exploit its vast terrain to move between Enugu and Benue. Both states have seen repeated abductions linked to the same network over the past year.

According to security sources, surveillance operations have been intensified to prevent the gunmen who escaped from regrouping. Troops are maintaining ground patrols supported by aerial monitoring, with officers insisting that pressure on the criminal network will continue despite the success of Friday’s mission.