Soldiers of the Nigerian Army's 12 Composite Brigade say they killed two suspected kidnappers and recovered two AK-47 rifles and more than 5,000 rounds of ammunition in Edimogbo Forest, Igalamela-Odolu Local Government Area of Kogi State, on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. The account comes from an Army statement and has not been independently confirmed.
According to the Army, the shootout was not a one-off. It came a day after troops stormed what the military described as a suspected kidnappers' hideout inside the same forest on Monday, November 2.
What the Army said happened
The details were released by Lieutenant Hassan Abdullahi, the acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations. Daily Post linked the brigade to the Army's 5 Division, while Punch said the statement went out late on Tuesday night.
Punch quoted Abdullahi as saying that "the operation, conducted on November 3, 2026, followed an earlier raid on a suspected kidnappers’ hideout in the forest on November 2, during which troops made contact with the criminals."
In the Army's telling, soldiers kept pushing through the forest after the first raid. They went after suspects who had run off, swept the remaining camps and tried to keep the gang from moving freely in the area.
During this second push, the statement said, troops ran into the fleeing group again and opened fire, forcing them to pull back. Two of the suspected kidnappers were killed. The rest reportedly escaped deeper into the surrounding bush, and the Army did not say how many got away.
The haul from the forest
The largest item on the Army's list was ammunition. It said soldiers seized 4,725 rounds of what it called 7.62mm special ammunition, plus a further 438 rounds of 7.62mm x 54 ammunition. That comes to 5,163 rounds in all.
The recovered weapons and gear included a pair of AK-47 rifles, seven magazines and two bandoliers. Troops also took away two mobile phones and a power bank, the statement said. It did not say whether the phones would be used to track the suspects who fled.
Army promises more pressure
The statement described the follow-up as building on Monday's raid: "The successful exploitation operation further consolidates the gains recorded during the previous day’s raid and underscores the Brigade’s determination to sustain pressure on criminal elements operating within its area of responsibility."
It added, according to Punch: "Troops have continued to dominate the general area, with their morale and fighting efficiency remaining high."
The Army also gave a broader assurance to residents of Kogi State. It said it would keep up operations against criminal groups, protect lives and property, and work towards durable peace across the state.
