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From Jude Owuamanam, Jos
Troops of Operation Enduring Peace said they have successfully foiled multiple kidnapping attempts and rescued several victims in the last 48 hours within their joint operating areas in Plateau and Kaduna states.
The Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force OPEP, Capt Chinonso Oteh, said in a statement that the troops had also launched aggressive manhunts for fleeing criminal elements across the two states.
According to him, in the first operation, troops of Sector 6 deployed in Sopp District in the Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State responded to reports of suspected kidnappers who blocked the highway along the Hawan Kibo–Rafin Sayin axis at approximately 12.30 am on 5 June 2026.
He said that upon arrival at the scene, the tactical team discovered an ash-coloured Honda vehicle with registration number APP-93CF abandoned in the middle of the road.
Troops, he said, immediately launched a thorough search and rescue operation in the surrounding bushes. This rapid response led to the successful rescue of six kidnapped passengers.
The rescued individuals revealed that they had boarded the commercial vehicle from Lafiya, Nasarawa State, and were bound for Jos.
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The media officer said that while the victims were safe, the driver of the vehicle remained missing, and troops were maintaining an active search to locate and rescue him.
Simultaneously, he said that troops of Sector 5 operating in Bokkos also recorded another victory against criminality in the area when they responded to an urgent distress call from Faggem Village on 5 June 2026.
He said that the troops swiftly mobilised and foiled an ongoing abduction attempt, as the operational pressure forced the criminals to abandon their targets and flee into a nearby forest. The chase led troops to successfully rescue a pastor and his wife from the clutches of the kidnappers.
The couple, who sustained injuries during the initial assault by the criminals, were promptly evacuated by the troops to the Bokkos medical clinic for treatment, while troops also initiated a manhunt to track down the fleeing suspects.
In a related development, troops of Sector 7, deployed at Ungwan Gora in the Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna State, in the early hours of Saturday, June 6, responded to reports of suspected terrorists blocking the highway between Rafi Tagwai and Angwan Dariya.
“Upon arrival, troops discovered that the terrorists had kidnapped some passengers travelling in a commercial vehicle. Troops recovered 8 empty cases of 7.62mm special ammunition at the scene and immediately plunged into the adjoining forest on a rescue mission.
“The pursuit yielded immediate results as troops rescued 2 injured passengers, while efforts are currently ongoing to rescue other kidnapped occupants of the vehicle. The rescued passengers were swiftly evacuated to a nearby hospital in Fadan Karshi District for medical attention.”
