From Attah Ede, Makurdi

Troops at the weekend rescued a Youth Corps member and six other victims from kidnappers in Tse-Annaka, along Wukari/Zaki-Biam, in Ukum local government area of Benue State.

The victims were rescued in joint operations involving the 401 Special Forces Brigade and Sector One Operation Whirl Stroke.

The Youth Corp member was identified as a 29-year-old law graduate, Samuel Muekara.

Other rescued victims who were kidnapped at different dates and times within the same location include Anaelechi Bob, 32; Ayuba Luka, 28; Ibrahim Umar, 30; Rabiu Muhammad, 48; Buhari Ahmadu Saleh, 17; and Blessing Ayuba, 47.

A security personnel who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the press, identified the bandits terrorising the Sankara axis as “Full Fire”, Ayongo, Chen and his group.

He said the bandits belong to the gang of the notorious criminal kingpin in Benue the late Terwase Akwaza also known as Gana

“These notorious armed bandits are well known to the people living in those areas and any attempt to get information from them, they claim not to know, whereas they know them.

“The people must understand that security is a collective effort from all and sundry and therefore, the communities should be able to always volunteer necessary information to security agencies especially our troops to help them fish out the perpetrators of crime among them.”

Some of the rescued victims who spoke with our correspondent at the military camp in  Zaki–Biam, Ukum local government area where they were taken to, said they were kidnapped and kept hostage for days before the intervention of the military  troops.

“Some of us were taken to the neighbouring settlements like Chito village, Adamawa village, Atereyange village, Ututu village and Pevkyaa village all of Ukum local government area where these heavily armed bandits are using as their hideouts.

“These armed bandits have made kidnapping in these communities as their major source of income and they do it in broad daylight without fear.

”They are living with their families who usually come to give us food in their hideouts. People living around there see them perpetrating these evils but they are helpless to voice it out for fear of their lives”.

“One of us (victims) known as Rabiu Muhammad who came to pay ransom for his cousin Ibrahim Umar, became a kidnapped victim himself after he had paid  the ransom”, one of the victims said.

Another victim identified as Blessing Ayuba said she was also kidnapped after she came to pay a ransom for her son, Luka Ayuba.

On his part, the rescued youth corp member told our correspondent that after the families of seven jointly raised over N20 million and paid as ransom with other valuables worth millions of naira forcibly taken away, they were still held captive until the military came to their rescue.