By Imisioluwa Afunmiso
Troops of 4 Brigade, Nigerian Army, in collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force, have rescued a 50-year-old farmer, Mr Lucky Egbiki, who was abducted at his farm in Okehussan, Ubiaja, Esan South East Local Government Area of Edo State.
The rescue operation, conducted under Operation KO SALO, followed credible intelligence on the farmer’s abduction and took place at about 6pm on Thursday, August 6, 2026.
According to a statement by the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 4 Brigade Nigerian Army, Captain Kennedy Anyanwu, the security forces exploited ransom negotiations to lure the kidnappers to a predetermined location at Onogholo in Esan South East Local Government Area.
He said the troops and police personnel engaged the criminal elements when they arrived at the location to collect the ransom.
During the encounter, one of the kidnappers was neutralised by the troops, while other members of the gang fled into the surrounding forest, with some suspected to have sustained gunshot wounds.
Egbiki was subsequently rescued unhurt, while the security forces recovered the N1.5 million ransom intended for the kidnappers.
The rescued farmer was handed over to his family after preliminary debriefing and medical assessment, with his condition confirmed to be stable.
The Army said troops conducted follow-up clearance operations on August 7 and 8, combing the surrounding forest in an attempt to track the fleeing kidnappers, but no further contact was made with the criminals.
The Brigade said the operation demonstrated the effectiveness of intelligence-driven operations and inter-agency collaboration in tackling kidnapping and other violent crimes in the state.
It urged residents of Edo State to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies, noting that actionable intelligence remained critical to sustaining security operations across the state.
The Commander, 4 Brigade Nigerian Army, Brigadier General Ahmed Balogun, commended the troops for their courage, proactiveness and professionalism during the operation.
Balogun assured residents that the Brigade would sustain aggressive and intelligence-led operations to deny kidnappers and other criminal elements safe havens within its area of responsibility.
He added that the Army would continue to protect lives and property and create a secure environment for farming and other legitimate economic activities across Edo State.