The Special Forces (SF) under the 271 Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Detachment, Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State, carried out a rescue operation which led to the rescue of seven Chinese expatriates earlier kidnapped and held hostage by terrorists.
Spokesman of the NAF, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, who disclosed this Sunday, 18 December, 2022, described the rescue as a daring and clinical military operation.
TheFact Daily reports that the rescued Chinese victims were believed to have been kidnapped in June 2022 by terrorists while working on a mining site in Ajata-Aboki, Gurmana Ward of Shiroro Local Council, Niger State.
According to Gabkwet, “the Combat Search and Rescue operation, which consisted of 35 Special Forces was conducted in the cover of the night at Kanfani Doka and Gwaska general areas leading to the terrorists abandoning their enclaves, weapons and kidnapped Chinese victims. The terrorists fled due to the superior firepower of the special forces”.
After the successful operations, the seven Chinese were flown to the 271 NAF Detachment Medical Centre for evaluation with two of the victims stabilised. Subsequently, the seven victims were flown to the NAF Base Medical Hospital, Kaduna for further medical investigations.
Gabkwet said that the Chief of Air Staff, 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 an 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.’
Gabkwet also said that the Air Chief 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 the criminal elements as well as those supporting them.
