A military operation in Plateau State has led to the rescue of eight people who were abducted by kidnappers hiding in Pandam Forest, Qua’an Pan Local Government Area.
The Joint Task Force, Operation ENDURING PEACE, announced the development in a statement on Friday signed by its Media Information Officer, Captain Chinonso Oteh.
According to the military, the operation followed intelligence reports that armed kidnappers were using the forest as a hideout. Acting on the information, troops from Sector 9 launched a coordinated assault from Namu Town in the early hours of June 24.
During the operation, soldiers exchanged gunfire with the fleeing kidnappers, creating an opportunity for some of the captives to escape.
“During the operation, troops engaged in a firefight with the suspected kidnappers, who fired sporadically in an attempt to withdraw. Utilising the ensuing chaos, three of the kidnapped victims managed to escape earlier from the kidnappers’ custody,” Oteh said.
He explained that troops continued searching the forest after the initial confrontation, leading to the rescue of five additional victims.
“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.
“The rescued victims are currently in safe condition, and efforts are ongoing to unite them with their respective families,” he added.
The military noted that residents of nearby communities welcomed the successful operation and pledged to continue providing intelligence to security agencies to help track down criminal groups.
“This successful operation has been highly applauded by members of the local communities, who indicated willingness to continue to provide useful information to ensure the arrest of the kidnappers.
“Troops are currently in pursuit of the fleeing kidnappers to apprehend or neutralise them. Operation ENDURING PEACE appreciates the citizens for their cooperation and calls for more support in disrupting criminal elements and restoring the desired peace across the Joint Operations Area.”
