Police Free 309 Hostages, Kill 55 Terrorists in Kogi, Kwara

 

The Nigeria Police Force has rescued 309 hostages, arrested 129 suspected terrorists and killed 55 others during a coordinated security operation in Kogi and Kwara states.

Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed this on Tuesday while speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, saying the operation followed months of intelligence gathering and planning by security agencies.

According to Hundeyin, the offensive, which commenced over the weekend, targeted criminal enclaves located in hard-to-reach, forested areas across the two states. Aerial footage from the operation showed several settlements used by the terrorists being dismantled and set ablaze.

“I can confirm that 129 of these terrorists were arrested and 55 were neutralised, while 309 hostages were rescued in Kogi and Kwara states,” Hundeyin said.

He dismissed claims of extrajudicial killings, explaining that the suspects who were killed engaged security operatives in fierce gun battles after refusing to surrender, despite the arrest of some of their associates.

“These were not extrajudicial killings. These were firefights. They chose to confront our men,” he stated.

Hundeyin attributed the success of the operation to inter-agency collaboration, noting that it was carried out by a combination of police units, including the Police Mobile Force, Intelligence Response Team, Special Intervention Squad and the Air Wing, working alongside the military and other security agencies.

He added that no casualties were recorded among security operatives involved in the operation.

Describing the terrain as difficult and largely inaccessible by road, Hundeyin said aerial support became necessary, as operatives had been deployed to the area for several months prior to the assault.

He assured Nigerians that the police would sustain the momentum, stressing that more operations would follow.

“In the coming days, it may not be easy because a lot of raking still needs to be done, but we are committed to sustaining what we have started. We are taking this battle to every identified enclave of bandits and terrorists. This is just the beginning,” he said.