Military troops with the rescued victims
In a decisive show of force, Major General Chinedu Nnebeife, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 2 Division of the Nigerian Army and Commander of Sector 3, Operation FANSAN YAMA, personally led troops into Babasango Forest in Kwara State, successfully rescuing two kidnapped individuals.
The operation, carried out on Thursday during an official visit to the Patrol Base in Babanla, was revealed in a statement by the acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations for the Division, Lt. Col. Polycarp Okoye, on Saturday.
According to the statement, the mission followed a recent attack by suspected bandits in Olegbede village, located in the Omu-Aran Local Government Area, where three traders tragically lost their lives.
Responding swiftly, the GOC mobilized troops and advanced into the forest, a known hideout for criminal elements. Their swift and strategic movement led to the rescue of the two victims, who were immediately handed over to the traditional ruler of the Ayekale community, Oba Pius Oluwole Oni Dofin of Idofin Odoeshe Ayekale.
> “Oba Oluwole attributed the frequent attacks to the closeness of their community to the Babasango Forest and appealed for a continued military presence,” Okoye stated.
During the visit, Maj. Gen. Nnebeife extended his condolences to the royal father and the affected community, assuring them of the Army’s unwavering commitment to ongoing clearance operations in the area.
> “We will not relent. The forest will be combed and cleared of all criminal elements,” he assured.
The rescue underscores the Nigerian Army’s proactive stance in restoring security and confidence in vulnerable communities affected by criminal activities in Kwara and surrounding regions.
