Troops rescue 2 kidnap victims, arrest 11 suspects in Plateau

Troops of the Joint Task Force, Operation Enduring Peace (JTF-OPEP), have rescued two kidnapped victims and arrested 11 suspected kidnappers in Plateau.

Capt. Polycarp Oteh, the operation’s Media Officer, said this in a statement issued on Sunday in Jos.

Oteh said the operation, conducted on Saturday, followed credible intelligence on suspected kidnapping activities within Rayfield and other parts of the state.

He said the troops also recovered arms and ammunition during separate operations conducted in the state.

“Troops of Sector 1, Sub-Sector 12, deployed at Lamingo, successfully rescued two kidnapped victims and arrested 11 suspected kidnappers.

“They also recovered weapons during separate operations conducted in the early hours of Saturday,” he said.

According to him, the operations followed credible intelligence on kidnappers operating within 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,” Oteh said.

He said the rescued victims identified three of the arrested suspects as members of the syndicate allegedly responsible for their abduction.

The media officer said the troops also conducted cordon-and-search operations in communities across Bassa and Mangu Local Government Areas.

He said the operations led to the recovery of some weapons from the affected communities.

Oteh urged residents to support the military and other security agencies in tackling security challenges across the state.