Troops Rescue Kidnap Victims in Plateau, Arrest Suspected Gun Runner in Kaduna

Troops under Joint Task Force Operation Enduring Peace have rescued two people abducted in Plateau State and arrested a suspected gun runner in Kaduna State, military authorities said on Tuesday, in what they described as part of a wider push against armed groups in the area.

In a statement signed by the task force’s Media Information Officer, Captain Chinonso Polycarp Oteh, the command said both incidents happened during field operations carried out across its Joint Operations Area.

The statement said troops deployed at Wase in Plateau recorded the rescue around Kukawa in Kanam Local Government Area. According to the command, soldiers on an “aggressive fighting patrol” encountered the abductors while they were moving their captives.

The military said the assailants abandoned the victims when troops closed in and then escaped into nearby bushes. The operation, the statement added, followed what it called a deliberate and sustained offensive against criminal groups.

Officials said preliminary findings showed the two victims were kidnapped at gunpoint on 22 February 2026 from Mansur village in Alkaleri Local Government Area of Bauchi State.

After the recovery, the victims were debriefed, while further steps began to reconnect them with their families. The task force also said search teams were still combing surrounding areas to track down the fleeing suspects and check for other people who may still be in captivity.

In a separate action, troops stationed at Sanga in Kaduna State reportedly intercepted a man identified as Vincent Ibrahim, 36, during a stop-and-search operation at Kurmin Goro village.

The military alleged that Ibrahim was transporting five fabricated rifles to an undisclosed location in Kafanchan. He is in custody and “undergoing interrogation,” according to the statement.

The General Officer Commanding 3 Division and Commander of Operation Enduring Peace, Folusho Oyinlola, praised the soldiers involved in the operations. The command said he commended their “alertness and decisive action” and restated the force’s commitment to protecting lives and property.

Security operations in Plateau and parts of Kaduna have continued in recent months as troops target kidnapping cells and illegal arms movement along routes linking multiple North-Central and North-West communities.