Troops rescue eight kidnap victims in Plateau forest operation

Troops of Sector 9, Joint Task Force Operation Enduring Peace, have rescued eight kidnap victims during an offensive operation in Pandam Forest, Qua’an Pan Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The operation was carried out at about 3:00 a.m. on Wednesday following credible intelligence on the presence of suspected kidnappers in the forest.

This was disclosed in a statement issued by Captain Chinonso Polycarp Oteh, Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force Operation Enduring Peace, and made available to journalists in Jos on Friday.

According to the statement, the troops came under sporadic gunfire as the suspected kidnappers attempted to escape.

The soldiers engaged the suspects in a firefight, forcing them to abandon some of the abducted victims.

During the exchange, three kidnapped victims escaped from the captors.

The troops later intensified their clearance operation and combed the forest, leading to the rescue of five additional victims.

“Subsequent exploitation and thorough combing of the forest by the troops led to the rescue of five additional abducted victims, bringing the total number of rescued individuals to eight,” the statement said.

The military said the rescued victims were in safe condition and efforts were ongoing to reunite them with their families.

It added that troops were still pursuing the fleeing kidnappers with a view to apprehending or neutralising them.

The statement said the operation had been commended by members of the local communities, who expressed willingness to continue supporting security agencies with credible information.

Operation Enduring Peace also thanked residents for their cooperation and urged them to sustain support for security agencies in the fight against criminal elements.

The task force said such collaboration remained crucial to disrupting criminal activities and restoring lasting peace across the Joint Operations Area.