By Opeyemi Adelakun
Troops of Operation Enduring Peace have rescued two kidnapped victims, arrested 11 suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate and recovered weapons during separate security operations in Plateau State.
The Joint Task Force disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday by its Media Information Officer, Captain Chinonso Oteh.
According to the statement, troops of Sector 1, Sub-Sector 12, based in Lamingo, carried out raids in the early hours of Saturday, September 19, following intelligence about kidnapping activities around Rayfield and other parts of Jos North Local Government Area.
The operation targeted suspected hideouts at Shere, Gwafan and Maza Hills, leading to the arrest of 11 suspects.
The military said information obtained from two victims abducted in Gwafan Community on September 18 helped the troops during the operation.
“During preliminary investigation, the victims positively identified 3 of the arrested suspects as members of the syndicate allegedly responsible for their abduction,” the statement said.
In a separate operation in Bassa Local Government Area, troops of Sector 3 conducted a cordon-and-search exercise at about 6pm on September 19, acting on intelligence.
The operation resulted in the arrest of a suspect and the recovery of a locally fabricated rifle.
The task force said troops were maintaining a presence in the area in an effort to track down other suspected members of the group.
Meanwhile, troops of Sector 8, deployed in Mangu Local Government Area, arrested another suspected criminal during a confidence-building patrol along the Tul–Ntam–Angwan Mata–Deng-Deng axis.
The suspect was reportedly apprehended near the Water Board Area after attempting to conceal a weapon upon sighting the soldiers.
A search led to the recovery of a locally fabricated automatic weapon, nine rounds of 7.62mm Special ammunition and a mobile phone.
The statement said investigations were ongoing to establish the activities of the suspects and uncover further details about the alleged syndicate.
The Commander of Operation Enduring Peace, Major-General Maxwell Dangana, commended the troops for their professionalism, dexterity and timely response.
He urged them to sustain their operations and prevent criminal elements from operating freely within the joint operations area.
Dangana also acknowledged the continued cooperation of Plateau residents and other stakeholders in the security efforts.
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