Troops of the Nigerian Armed Forces have rescued 10 kidnap victims, arrested five suspected criminals and foiled kidnapping attempts during separate operations in Plateau and Taraba.
The military disclosed this in an operational report made available on Saturday in Abuja.
The report said the operations also led to the recovery of stolen property and other items, while troops sustained casualties during an encounter with suspected terrorists in Taraba.
It said troops of Operation Enduring Peace, OPEP, rescued three kidnap victims at Makundang Village in Bokkos local government area, LGA, of Plateau on Friday.
According to the report, the troops responded to a kidnapping incident at about 8:50 p.m. and made contact with the criminals, forcing them to flee and abandon the victims.
It said the rescued victims were subsequently reunited with their families, while efforts were ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects.
“In another operation on November 6, troops arrested five suspected criminals during a raid on Prime House Hotel along Baring Road in Jos North LGA of Plateau.
“The troops responded to a phone-snatching incident at about 9 p.m. before raiding the hotel, where they apprehended the suspects in possession of the stolen phone.
“Items recovered from the suspects included 26 mobile phones, 27 pouches, three MP devices, two earpods, one HP laptop, a knife, four power banks and a vehicle.
“The suspects and recovered items were in military custody for further investigation and necessary action,” it said.
The report further disclosed that troops foiled another kidnapping attempt along Rafin Sanyi Road in Riyom LGA of Plateau on Saturday.
It said troops deployed at SOPP responded to suspicious activities by suspected kidnappers at about 9:40 p.m., forcing the criminals to flee.
During a search of the area, the troops rescued a victim found inside a vehicle with gunshot wounds.
The victim was immediately evacuated to the Nigerian Army Medical Outpost at Tigi for medical attention.
However, in a separate incident along the Barkin Ladi-Bokkos Road, troops responded to a reported kidnapping involving four travellers on Friday.
The report said the victims were travelling from Abuja to Bokkos for a wedding ceremony when they were reportedly abducted at Angwan Kwanu, Butura Village, in Bokkos LGA.
Troops discovered an abandoned vehicle with its doors open, alongside two mobile phones, a refrigerator and some luggage.
According to the report, a search-and-rescue operation conducted in the surrounding bushes did not establish contact with the kidnappers or the victims.
It said the abandoned vehicle and recovered items were handed over to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Butura Division, while efforts continued to track the perpetrators and rescue the victims.
The report added that troops of Operation Whirl Stroke, OPWS, rescued six kidnap victims during an encounter with suspected terrorists at Jebjeb Village in Karim Lamido LGA of Taraba on November 4.
It added that troops, deployed at Jebjeb, reportedly responded to kidnapping activities at about 1:34 a.m. and made contact with the criminals, forcing them to withdraw in disarray.
“However, the encounter resulted in the death of a soldier and a civilian hunter, while another soldier sustained injuries.
“In Enugu, troops of the 82 Division Garrison, working with personnel of the Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS, at Madaueke, responded to a kidnapping incident at Ogbenajima in Uzo-Uwani LGA on November 6.
“Preliminary investigation indicated that four civilians were abducted from a farm by suspected armed criminals on Friday,” it said.
Source: NAN
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