Troops intercept suspected gunrunner, rescue kidnap victims in Plateau, Kaduna

Troops of Operation ENDURING PEACE (OPEP) deployed to Wase have rescued two kidnapped victims near Kukawa in the Kanam Local Government Area of Plateau State. According to a statement by the spokesperson for the operation, Captain Chinonso Polycarp Oteh, troops on an aggressive fighting patrol made contact with the criminals while they were conveying the […]

Troops of Operation ENDURING PEACE (OPEP) deployed to Wase have rescued two kidnapped victims near Kukawa in the Kanam Local Government Area of Plateau State.

According to a statement by the spokesperson for the operation, Captain Chinonso Polycarp Oteh, troops on an aggressive fighting patrol made contact with the criminals while they were conveying the victims to their hideouts. The encounter forced the bandits to abandon their captives and flee into the nearby bushes.

Captain Oteh stated that a preliminary investigation revealed the victims were abducted at gunpoint on February 22, 2026, from Mansur village in the Alkaleri LGA of Bauchi State.

“The victims have been debriefed, and efforts are ongoing to reunite them with their families. Meanwhile, troops continue to comb the bushes to apprehend the fleeing criminals and possibly rescue other abducted persons,” Oteh said.

In a related development, the operation reported that troops deployed to Sanga, in the Sanga LGA of Kaduna State, intercepted a suspected gunrunner during a stop-and-search operation at Kurmin Goro village.

The 36-year-old suspect, identified as Vincent Ibrahim, was intercepted while conveying five fabricated rifles to an undisclosed location in Kafanchan. The suspect is currently in military custody undergoing interrogation.

“The General Officer Commanding 3 Division and Commander of the Joint Task Force, Operation ENDURING PEACE, Major General Folusho Oyinlola, has commended the troops for their alertness and decisive action. He assured citizens of the military’s unwavering commitment to the protection of lives and property,” Captain Oteh added.