The Nigerian military has rescued 21 kidnapped victims, including 15 members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), during an operation in a forest between Egume and Ochaja in Kogi State.

The victims, comprising eight males and 13 females, were rescued from the Egume-Ochaja forest stretch by troops operating under the 2 Division area of responsibility.

The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Michael Onoja, disclosed the development on Monday while giving an update on military operations across the country.

According to him, the 15 NYSC members were among those kidnapped last week while travelling from Abuja to Bayelsa State. Their rescue comes amid intensified military operations against terrorists and other criminal elements across the country.

“The Armed Forces of Nigeria is also happy to announce that a total of 21 victims, comprising eight males and 13 females, 15 of them being National Youth Service Corps members, have just been rescued within the Egume and Ochaja forest stretch in 2 Division area of operation,” Onoja said.

The military spokesman said the operation formed part of broader efforts by the armed forces, in collaboration with other security agencies and state institutions, to rescue abducted citizens and dismantle criminal networks.

He also cited the rescue of 308 abducted persons, predominantly women and children, from the Kainji Lake National Park on August 5 as evidence of the military's growing capacity to locate and recover victims held by terrorists and criminals.

Onoja said troops were maintaining pressure on terrorists operating around the Kainji Lake National Park and other identified corridors, particularly in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, where recent abductions have heightened security concerns.

He assured residents of Borgu and neighbouring communities that military operations would continue until the threats were sufficiently degraded, while urging families of abducted persons to remain calm and avoid actions capable of compromising ongoing rescue efforts.

Giving an account of military operations during August, Onoja disclosed that troops neutralised more than 332 terrorists and criminals, arrested 373 suspects and rescued 610 kidnapped victims across the country.

He added that 201 insurgents surrendered to the military during the month, while troops recovered 88 arms and 2,077 rounds of ammunition.

In the fight against oil theft, he said security forces also recovered 686,800 litres of stolen crude oil products and destroyed 21 illegal refining sites.

Onoja attributed the reported gains to intensified kinetic and non-kinetic operations, improved intelligence gathering and stronger cooperation among security agencies.

He said the rise in terrorist surrenders—from 11 in June to 57 in July and 201 in August—was an indication of increasing pressure on criminal groups.

He said the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, remained committed to rescuing kidnapped Nigerians, protecting civilians and facilitating the return of internally displaced persons to their communities, while commending troops for their sacrifices in the ongoing fight against terrorism and criminality.