By Celestine Okafor (Editor-in-Chief/Defence Correspondent)
Operational troops of the Nigerian Army have finally rescued Major CL. Datong was among the officers abducted by the gunmen that recently invaded and attacked the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) in Kaduna.
A statement on Saturday by the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations 1 Division of the Nigerian Army, Col. Ezindu Idima, said the search for the kidnapped officer yielded fruit when the operational troops stormed a camp where Major Datong was being held in the Afaka area of Kaduna state and engaged the bandits in a sustained exchange of gunfire.
The gallant troops, Col. Idima said, eventually overpowered kidnappers with superior firepower and succeeded in rescuing the abducted Army officer. However, the officer was said to have sustained a minor injury but has been treated in a medical facility and handed over to NDA for further action.
According to the Army statement, the military manhunt operation followed a directive by the Chief of Defence Staff and Service Chiefs for 1 Division Nigerian Army in conjunction with the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) and all security agencies to conduct decisive operations to rescue Major CL Datong who was abducted at Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) Permanent Site on 24 August 2021. The security agencies were charged to find the perpetrators dead or alive.
The Army statement said, "The Division, in conjunction with the Air Task Force, Department of State Services and other security agencies, immediately swung into action by conducting operations in the Afaka general area to find and rescue the officer.
"The operations were being conducted based on several leads received from various sources regarding the abductors and likely locations the officer was being held. The operations which have been sustained since the abduction of the officer proved quite successful and led to the destruction of several identified bandits’ camps in the Afaka- Birnin Gwari general area and neutralization of scores of bandits particularly, in the late hours of today, 17 September 2021.
"The troops arrived at a camp suspected to be the location where Maj CL Datong was being held. At the camp, the troops exchanged fire with the bandits for overwhelmed them superior fire. In the process, the gallant troops were able to rescue the abducted officer. However, the officer sustained a minor injury but has been treated in a medical facility and handed over to NDA for further action.
"The Division wishes to commend the efforts of the NAF, DSS, Nigerian Police and patriotic Nigerians for their invaluable support which contributed to the success of this operation. Our operations will continue until we capture or neutralize the assailants that killed two (2) officers in the NDA on 24 August 2021". NNL.
