Troops rescue two kidnap victims, arrest 11 in Plateau

Troops of Operation ENDURING PEACE have rescued two kidnapped victims and arrested 11 suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate during separate operations in Plateau State.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force, Operation ENDURING PEACE, Captain Chinonso Polycarp Oteh.

According to the statement weapons were also recovered during the operation.

The statement read, “Troops of Sector 1, Sub-Sector 12, Operation ENDURING PEACE, deployed at Lamingo, have successfully rescued two kidnapped victims, arrested 11 suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate and recovered weapons during separate operations conducted within the Joint Operations Area of Plateau State.”

“The operation, conducted in the early hours of Saturday, September 19, 2026, followed credible intelligence on the activities of kidnappers operating within the Rayfield and other parts of Jos North Local Government Area. Acting on the intelligence, troops raided suspected criminal hideouts at Shere, Gwafan and Maza Hills, resulting in the arrest of 11 suspects.”

The statement added that the operation was further enhanced by the timely exploitation of intelligence obtained from two kidnapped victims who had been abducted from Gwafan community on September 18, 2026.

“During preliminary investigation, the victims positively identified three of the arrested suspects as members of the syndicate allegedly responsible for their abduction,” the statement added.

In another operation, the statement noted that “at about 6pm on 19 September 2026, troops of Sector 3, deployed in Bassa Local Government Area, acting on credible intelligence, conducted a cordon-and-search operation which led to the recovery of one locally fabricated rifle and arrest of a suspect.”

“Troops are currently dominating the general area to possibly apprehend other members of the criminal syndicate,” it said.

Similarly, the statement disclosed that troops of Sector 8, deployed in Mangu Local Government Area, conducted a confidence-building patrol along the Tul–Ntam–Angwan Mata–Deng-Deng axis.

“During the patrol, troops apprehended a suspected criminal around the Water Board Area who attempted to conceal a weapon upon sighting troops. A thorough search of the suspect led to the recovery of one locally fabricated automatic weapon, nine rounds of 7.62mm Special ammunition and one mobile phone,” It added.

The statement further disclosed that the arrested suspects were currently in custody and undergoing further investigation and exploitation to unravel the activities of the syndicate, identify other members in order to facilitate follow-on operations to apprehend other fleeing suspects.

The Commander, Operation ENDURING PEACE, Major General Maxwell Dangana, commended the troops for their professionalism, dexterity and timely response during the operations.

The commander charged them “to sustain the aggressive posture and maintain the momentum of the operation to deny criminal elements freedom of action within the Joint Operations Area.”

He also appreciated the continued support and cooperation of the people of Plateau State and other relevant stakeholders.

“He emphasised that the timely provision of credible information remains critical to the success of ongoing operations against criminal elements and efforts to consolidate the prevailing peace across the State,” the statement said.

Dangana further reassured the people of Plateau State of the unwavering commitment of Operation ENDURING PEACE to protect lives and property while strengthening existing peace and security efforts across the state.