Two kidnapped residents were freed and 11 suspected kidnappers taken into custody after troops of the Joint Task Force, Operation Enduring Peace mounted targeted raids in Plateau State, officials said. The arrests and rescues came during operations on Saturday that security sources say were based on credible intelligence about kidnapping activity in Rayfield and other parts of the state.
Capt. Polycarp Oteh, the operation's media officer, issued a statement in Jos on Sunday describing the deployment. He said soldiers from Sector 1, Sub-Sector 12, based at Lamingo, located and freed the two victims and arrested the 11 suspects during the sweep.
Troops executed follow-up raids on suspected criminal hideouts at Shere, Gwafan and Maza Hills in Jos North Local Government Area, which resulted in the arrests. The rescued victims later identified three of those detained as members of the syndicate alleged to have abducted them, the statement said.
Separately, the military recovered arms and ammunition in early-morning operations, and mounted cordon-and-search missions across communities in Bassa and Mangu Local Government Areas that also yielded weapons. The recoveries were reported as part of the same series of security actions across the state.
Oteh urged residents to cooperate with the military and other security agencies as they continue efforts to tackle kidnapping and related threats across Plateau. The statement did not provide further details on the suspects’ detention, charges or the condition of the rescued victims.
The operations underscore a continued security push by JTF-OPEP in Plateau, where authorities say timely intelligence has led to targeted raids and the disruption of suspected abduction networks.
