3 soldiers killed during rescue of ex-police officer, 3 women abducted by rustlers

Soldiers of 133 Special Forces Battalion of 707 Brigade, Makurdi, Benue State, said they had rescued a retired police officer and three women allegedly abducted by bandits and cattle rustlers in Niger State.

However, three soldiers were killed and many other were wounded when the troops fought the bandits while rescuing the man and the women.

In a statement issued on Monday in Makurdi, its Assistant Director of Army Public Relations, Major Olabisi Ayeni, said the retired police officer, ASP Bahago Ibrahim, and the three women were abducted in Mangodo village in Niger State.

He said Bahago was shot by the bandits while the women were abducted at different locations in the state.

He said the forces achieved the feat while carrying out a clearance mission of hideouts of bandits and cattle rustlers in the state.

The army spokesman said the soldiers, who acted on a tip-off, rescued the victims from the bandits who had stolen over 100 cattle from the village.

He said the troops overran an ambush by the bandits while fighting to rescue the victims and lost three soldiers in the operation while many others were wounded.

He said the rescued women had since been reunited with their families and assured of the army’s readiness to provide security in the communities.