Seven Chinese expatriates who had been abducted and kept prisoner by terrorists for almost six months were freed on Saturday morning as a result of a rescue operation carried out by Special Forces (SF) under the 271 Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Detachment in Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State.
The victims that were freed were allegedly kidnapped by terrorists in June 2022 while working at a mining site in Ajata-Aboki, Gurmana Ward, Shiroro local government area of Niger State.
In a statement released on Saturday, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, the NAF’s director of public relations and information, noted that the combat search and rescue operation, which involved 35 special forces, was carried out under cover of night in the general areas of Kanfani Doka and Gwaska, which caused the terrorists to abandon their hideouts, weapons, and kidnapped victims while fleeing for their lives due to the special forces’ superior firepower.
“After the successful operations, the seven Chinese victims were flown to the 271 NAF Detachment Medical Centre for evaluation were two of the victims were stabilised. Subsequently, the seven victims were flown to the NAF Base Medical Hospital, Kaduna for further medical investigations,” the NAF spokesman stated.
He added that the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, has since congratulated the Commander of the 271 NAF Detachment, Birnin Gwari, and his men for their continued determination and commitment, even in the face of danger, as they make inroad into the final fringes of terrorists’ enclaves in Kaduna State and the Northwest in general.
According to the CAS, “I am very proud of what our Special Forces in Birnin Gwari and elsewhere have continued to achieve and I remain confident that we will soon free all areas of terrorists and their activities.”
Air Marshal Amao also enjoined Nigerians to continue to support the Armed Forces of Nigeria and other security agencies by providing useful information that will lead to the arrest of criminal elements and those supporting them.