Police Rescue 309 Hostages, Kill 55 Terrorrists In Kogi, Kwara, Says Hundeyin

The Nigeria Police Force says a coordinated security operation across Kogi and Kwara states has led to the rescue of 309 hostages, the arrest of 129 suspected terrorists, and the killing of 55 others.

Disclosing this on channels television politics today programme on Tuesday, the Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, provided details of the operation.

THE WHISTLER reports that the operation reportedly began over the weekend, with aerial footage from the operation showing settlements in forested areas engulfed in flames as security forces dismantled criminal hideouts.

Speaking, Hundeyin said the suspects who were killed during the armed confrontations with security operatives, refused to surrender and chose to engage operatives despite the arrest of some of their associates.

“I can confirm that 129 of these terrorists were arrested and 55 were neutralised. 309 hostages were rescued. I am talking about Kogi and Kwara. Some people might want to say these were extrajudicial killings, so I have to make it clear these were firefights,” he said.

He added that the success recorded was the result of “months of intelligence gathering and planning,” involving multiple security agencies.

The operation, he said, was executed by a combination of police units, including the Police Mobile Force, Intelligence Response Team, Special Intervention Squad, and the Air Wing, working in partnership with the military and other security agencies.

According to him, no casualties were recorded among security operatives during the operation.

He also stated that the operatives had been deployed to the area for several months, describing the terrain as difficult, heavily forested, and largely inaccessible by road, which necessitated aerial support.

“In the coming days, it may not be as easy because a lot of ‘raking’ still needs to be done, but we can assure Nigerians that we are working seriously to sustain what we have started. We are taking this battle to every identified enclave of bandits and terrorists. This is just the beginning,” he said.

Police Rescue 309 Hostages, Kill 55 Terrorrists In Kogi, Kwara, Says Hundeyin is first published on The Whistler Newspaper