Seventeen abducted pupils and students have been rescued in Kogi State by security forces while nine others, including two women, remain in captivity.
Security sources said the victims were rescued following sustained operations by joint security forces after a reported abduction on April 27.
The sources disclosed that those rescued include Sultan, Zeidah, Ahmed, Yusuf, Farooq, Museen, Mustapha, Hasheem, Mohammed, Toheer, Abdulmumin, Abdulazeem, Mahmud, Ameerah, Firdaus, Tabarakallah and Ibrahim.
According to the sources, nine others are still being held by the abductors, including Habibullah, Shakir, Ahmed, Abdulhammed, Mubarak, Sultannah, Zulaiha, as well as the wives of the school proprietor identified as Nana-Hawa and Halimat.
The sources added that joint security forces have intensified bush-combing operations and are actively tracking the kidnappers in efforts to secure the release of the remaining victims.
They further stated that personnel have been deployed to strategic locations, with stop-and-search operations ongoing along major routes, including Kabba Junction and Zariagi, while patrols, intelligence gathering and surveillance have been heightened.
By; Zagazola Makama
