Troops of the Joint Task Force, Operation Enduring Peace, have successfully rescued two kidnapped victims and arrested 11 suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate during coordinated operations in Plateau State.
The operations were disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force, Captain Chinonso Polycarp Oteh.
According to the statement, troops of Sector 1, Sub-Sector 12, deployed at Lamingo, acted on credible intelligence regarding the activities of kidnappers operating in Rayfield and other parts of Jos North Local Government Area.
In the early hours of Saturday, 19 September 2026, the troops raided suspected criminal hideouts at Shere, Gwafan, and Maza Hills, resulting in the arrest of the 11 suspects and the recovery of weapons.
The operation was further supported by intelligence obtained from the two victims, who had been abducted from Gwafan Community on 18 September 2026. During preliminary investigation, the victims positively identified three of the arrested suspects as members of the syndicate allegedly responsible for their abduction.
In a related development, troops of Sector 3 deployed in Bassa Local Government Area conducted a cordon-and-search operation at about 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. The action led to the arrest of one additional suspect and the recovery of one locally fabricated rifle, nine rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, and a mobile phone.
Troops operating in Mangu Local Government Area also intercepted a suspected criminal during a patrol along the Tul–Ntam–Angwan Mata–Deng-Deng axis.
Captain Oteh stated that the arrested suspects are currently in custody and undergoing further investigation to unravel the full extent of the syndicate’s activities and to facilitate follow-on operations aimed at apprehending remaining members.