Troops of the 22 Armoured Brigade, operating under the Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State, have arrested eight suspected kidnappers and rescued two victims during a weekend operation.

This was disclosed in a statement by Lieutenant Stephen Nwankwo, Acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations for the Brigade.

According to the statement, the troops, acting on credible intelligence, launched a tactical raid on a suspected kidnappers’ hideout located on the outskirts of Latandaji Village, Patigi LGA.

During the operation, the suspects put up mild resistance but were swiftly overpowered by the troops’ superior firepower.

Two kidnap victims, identified as Amos Moses and Philip Michael, were successfully rescued, while one of the suspects, Mohammed Mohammed, sustained gunshot injuries during the firefight. He has been evacuated to Bachita Teaching Hospital for treatment.

Further search of the area led to the recovery of two motorcycles and two expended cartridge shells, believed to have been used by the suspects.

All arrested individuals are currently in military custody undergoing preliminary investigation and will be handed over to appropriate authorities for prosecution.

The army urged residents to continue providing timely and actionable intelligence to security agencies to aid ongoing efforts to rid the state of criminal elements.