Troops of Operation ENDURING PEACE have rescued eight kidnapped victims during a clearance operation in Pandam Forest, Qua’an Pan Local Government Area of Plateau State, following a gun battle with suspected kidnappers.
The operation, carried out by troops of Sector 9 deployed in Namu Town, was launched at about 3:00 a.m. after credible intelligence revealed that the victims were being held captive in the forest.
According to the Media Information Officer of Operation ENDURING PEACE, Capt. Chinonso Oteh, troops engaged the suspected kidnappers in a firefight after the criminals opened fire while attempting to flee.
“During the operation, troops engaged in a firefight with the suspected kidnappers, who fired sporadically in an attempt to withdraw. Utilizing the ensuing chaos, three of the kidnapped victims managed to escape from the kidnappers’ custody. Subsequent exploitation and thorough combing of the forest by the troops led to the rescue of an additional five abducted victims, bringing the total number of rescued individuals to eight,” Oteh said on Friday.
He added that the victims were in safe condition and that efforts were ongoing to reunite them with their families.
The military said troops have continued to comb the forest in pursuit of the fleeing suspects with the aim of apprehending or neutralising them and dismantling their criminal network.
Operation ENDURING PEACE also commended residents for providing timely intelligence, urging communities to sustain their support for security agencies in the fight against kidnapping and other violent crimes.