Nigerian Air Force Officers Rescue Seven Chinese Expatriates after Six Months in Captivity

Special Forces under the 271 Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Detachment, Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State, have rescued seven Chinese expatriates abducted by terrorists.
The Chinese expatriates were believed to have been kidnapped in June 2022 by terrorists while working on a mining site in Ajata-Aboki, Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State.
The rescue operation, according to a statement issued on Saturday by the Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, was carried out in the early hours of yesterday.

Gabkwet said the Combat Search and Rescue operation, which consisted of 35 Special Forces, was conducted under the cover of night at Kanfani Doka and Gwaska general areas, forcing the terrorists to abandon their enclaves, weapons and their kidnapped victims while fleeing for their lives.
The statement said the Chinese victims were flown to the 271 NAF Detachment Medical Centre for evaluation where two of them were stabilised before they were all flown to the NAF Base Medical Hospital, Kaduna for further medical investigations.
“In what could be described as a daring and clinical military operation, Special Forces (SF) under the 271 Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Detachment, Birnin Gwari, Kaduna State, carried out a rescue operation in the early hours of  December 17, 2022, leading to the rescue of seven Chinese expatriates earlier kidnapped and held hostage by terrorists,” the statement reads.

“The rescued Chinese victims are believed to have been kidnapped in June 2022 by terrorists while working on a mining site in Ajata-Aboki, Gurmana Ward of Shiroro Local Government, Niger State.
“The Combat Search and Rescue operation, which consisted of 35 Special Forces was conducted under the cover of night at Kanfani Doka and Gwaska general Areas leading to the terrorists abandoning their enclaves, and weapons and kidnapped Chinese victims while fleeing for their lives due to the superior firepower of the special forces.
“After the successful operations, the seven Chinese victims were flown to the 271 NAF Detachment Medical Centre for evaluation where two of the victims were stabilized. “Subsequently, the seven victims were flown to the NAF Base Medical Hospital, Kaduna for further medical investigations”.

Gabkwet said 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 North-west in general.
The statement quoted 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.”

The CAS enjoined Nigerians to continue to support the Armed Forces and other security agencies by providing useful information that will lead to the arrest of criminal elements and those supporting them.

John Shiklam in Kaduna

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