Troops of the Nigerian Army have rescued a kidnapped senior military officer, Lt. Col. Ofor Amobi, and a civilian, Mr Ikechukwu Onwuanra, after a 10-day joint search-and-rescue operation in Enugu State.

This is contained in a military operational report made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Abuja.

The military said the victims were rescued in the early hours of Friday, following sustained pressure on their abductors.

The military said troops of Sector 1 of Operation UDO KA, comprising personnel of the 82 Division Garrison, 103 Battalion (Reinforced), the Nigerian Navy Special Boat Service and the 197 Special Forces Battalion, carried out the operation.

It said the troops, led by the Commander, 82 Division Garrison, conducted intensive searches across Inyi, Awlaw and Akpugo-Eze forests and communities in Oji River Local Government Area of Enugu State.

According to the report, troops received intelligence from the Divisional Police Officer of Inyi Division at about 2:00 a.m. on Friday on the whereabouts of the victims.

It said the troops immediately launched a fighting patrol to the location where the victims were found abandoned at the edge of a forest in Inyi.

The military said both victims had sustained gunshot wounds and were rescued before being evacuated to the 82 Division Medical Hospital for treatment and medical evaluation.

It added that preliminary interrogation revealed the victims had been blindfolded, transported to an unknown location and later abandoned within a forest along the Enugu-Anambra border.

“The victims attributed their rescue to the sustained pressure mounted by the joint troops, which denied the kidnappers freedom of movement and compelled them to abandon their captives,” it said.

The military said further details on the operation would be made available later.

(NAN)

Armed men have reportedly abducted a Catholic seminarian, Mr. Kelvin Ochai, after invading the residence of a Catholic bishop in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State.

The attack reportedly occurred on Wednesday, July 29, when the gunmen stormed the Bishop’s residence located in the Asa III area of Otukpo, sparking concern within the Catholic community.

The incident was confirmed in a statement issued on Friday by the Chancellor of the Catholic Diocese of Otukpo, Rev. Fr. Joseph Aboyi Itodo.

According to the statement, the kidnappers made away with the seminarian, Mr. Kelvin Ochai, while details surrounding the attack and the circumstances of his abduction remain unclear.

The Diocese disclosed that the Catholic Bishop of Otukpo, Most Rev. Michael Ekwoyi Apochi, expressed deep sorrow over the incident and called on members of the Church and the general public to pray for the seminarian’s safe return.

Describing the abduction as a painful development, the bishop appealed to all Christ’s faithful in the Diocese of Otukpo, as well as people of goodwill, to unite in prayer for the victim and others being held captive across the country.

“The Bishop, who is deeply saddened by this unfortunate development, calls on all Christ’s Faithful in the Catholic Diocese of Otukpo and all people of goodwill to earnestly pray for the seminarian’s quick and safe release,” the statement read.

The Diocese further entrusted the abducted seminarian and all other kidnapping victims in Nigeria to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

“We commit our brother and all those in the kidnappers’ den throughout the country to the powerful intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary for their speedy and safe release from the hands of their abductors,” the statement added.

As of the time of filing this report, security agencies had not released an official statement on the attack, and it remains unclear whether contact has been established with the kidnappers or if any arrests have been made.

The latest incident adds to growing concerns over insecurity in parts of Benue State and the increasing number of attacks targeting religious institutions and clerics, prompting renewed calls for stronger security measures to protect lives and property.

A huge crowd of migrants poured into the Spanish territory of Ceuta overnight, after breaching the country’s border with Morocco.

At least 41 died in the process.

The Associated Press reported that the Ceuta government put the number of immigrants who have entered the city from Morocco in the past 24 hours at 60,000.

Ceuta is an autonomous city of Spain located on the northern coast of Africa. It shares its only land border with Morocco and, together with Melilla, another Spanish city, forms the European Union’s only land border with Africa.

This incident occurred a day after Ceuta’s government said between 1,500 and 2,000 people entered in the last 10 days.

Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, has described the incident as an attack on Spain’s “territorial integrity” while vowing to ensure the safety of Ceuta residents.

In a post on X, he said, “What has happened is an attack on Spain’s territorial integrity and deserves our most resounding and energetic condemnation.”

He stated that his government was intensifying the presence of the “Security Forces and Corps in the city,” and that it would expedite the “repatriation files of the migrants who arrived irregularly.”

“We will deploy a physical containment barrier in the sea to facilitate repatriation at the border, in compliance with the Supreme Court ruling,” he said.

Authorities disclosed on Friday that some of the migrants died in the stampede while trying to breach the frontier, crossing the breakwater fence at Tarajal beach.

Rachid Sbihi, who leads a local workers association representing Civil Guard officers, told the Associated Press that some of the 18 who died also drowned.

Spanish broadcaster RTVE shared images of burned cars on the Moroccan side of the border after reported clashes.

NBC also reported that video footage that surfaced showed several Moroccans walking around the breakwaters onto local roads. Most of them appeared to be young men, but the crowd also included families with women and small children.

The deadly attempt to enter Ceuta is the latest in a series of dangerous crossings into Europe that have been recorded.

Ceuta authorities described the situation as a “serious humanitarian crisis”.

The mass migration also caused the regional president, Jesus Vivas, to declare an “absolute humanitarian and social emergency” on Thursday and call on Madrid to send troops to reassert control of the border.

However, Spain’s Interior Ministry rejected calls to declare a national emergency, stating that such a measure does not apply to migration crises, but it promised additional resources.

Meanwhile, the mass arrival by sea and land is threatening to trigger a political crisis for Pedro Sánchez, a left-wing, pro-immigration leader.

European leaders have called for Spain’s temporary suspension from the bloc’s Schengen free-travel zone because of fears of a fresh migration crisis, leading to a diplomatic row between Rome and Madrid.

France said it was increasing checks on its border with Spain.

The Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, threatened to demand Spain’s suspension from the 29-member Schengen zone, which stretches from Portugal to Poland.

Ms Meloni warned of a threat to European security.

“The images coming from Ceuta are striking and demonstrate, once again, that uncontrolled illegal migration poses a concrete threat to the security of Europe’s borders,” she said.