Soldiers and Vigilante members in Ughelli North local government area of Delta at the weekend rescued four persons suspected to have been kidnapped by herdsmen along Ughelli, East-West road by Uwviamuge junction.

The Nation gathered the rescue operation witnessed fierce gun battle that lasted for hours.

Senior Assistant to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa on Security and Vigilante Commandant, Monday Ohwesiri, told reporters that herdsmen last Thursday blocked the Uvwiamuge area of the East-West road and kidnapped four persons after sporadic shootings.

Ohwesiri said the vigilante group received a distress call from the sister Ododegho community of perceived kidnapping activities in their bush, which prompted the group to immediately swift into action.

It was learnt two of the vigilante members, Ovoke Ijete and Solomon Udor sustained serious gun injuries during the operation.

He said: “We received a distress call from the chairman of Ododegho community who informed us of perceived kidnapping activities in their community bush.

“I immediately contact the special tactical squad unit of Nigeria Army deployed to the council area to fight kidnapping and related criminal activities in the Council area.

“While cubing the forest the kidnappers sight us at a close distance and opened fire at us and in the course of the exchange of gun injured two of our vigilante members presently receiving treatments in of the undisclosed hospitals”.

According to him, the Nigeria Army team led by Captain Joel from 63 Battalion rescued the victims unhurt.

Publicity Secretary of Delta Vigilantes group, Evangelist Lucky Akeni, said: “It took God’s divine intervention and the Nigeria Army to rescue the victims from the kidnappers den and the Ododegho forest where the victims were kept could be best described as Sabimsa forest of Delta.” (The Nation)

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