Troops of the Joint Task Force, Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), have successfully foiled a kidnap attempt along the Otukpo–Enugu Road in Benue State, rescuing 24 passengers who were targeted by armed criminals.
The Acting Media Information Officer of OPWS Headquarters, Lt. Ahmad Zubairu, confirmed the development in a statement issued on Wednesday in Makurdi.
According to him, the incident occurred on Monday night at Amoda, a community in Ohimini Local Government Area of the state.
Lt. Zubairu explained that armed assailants had emerged from the surrounding bush and briefly taken control of an existing security checkpoint along the busy highway.
The criminals reportedly stopped two 18-seater commercial buses travelling from Jos in Plateau State to Ibadan in Oyo State, with the intention of abducting all passengers on board.
He said the situation was brought under control following the swift mobilisation and timely intervention of OPWS troops, who engaged the kidnappers in a firefight. The exchange of gunfire forced the criminals to abandon their captives and flee into the bush.
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“In the initial encounter, 15 passengers were rescued and immediately handed over to the Nigerian Police Division in Otukpo,” Zubairu stated. However, he noted that at the time, six adults and four minors were initially unaccounted for.
Subsequent clearance and search operations by the troops led to further success, with an additional five adults rescued, alongside all four minors.
The rescued victims have since been handed over to the Police Area Command in Otukpo for necessary documentation and reunification processes.
Lt. Zubairu added that efforts are still ongoing to locate the remaining missing passenger, as troops continue to comb the surrounding areas to ensure that no victim is left behind and that the perpetrators are tracked down.
The OPWS reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining pressure on criminal elements operating along major highways in the state, while urging members of the public to remain vigilant and cooperate with security agencies by providing timely and credible information.