Troops of the Joint Task Force, Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), have thwarted a kidn+p attempt along the Otukpo-Enugu Expressway in Benue State, rescuing 24 passengers and forcing the assailants to flee.
Lieutenant Ahmad Zubairu, Acting Media Information Officer of JTF OPWS, said the operation followed a distress call reporting suspicious activity around the Amoda axis of Ohimini Local Government Area. The armed criminals emerged from the bush around 10 p.m., briefly taking over a checkpoint and attempting to abduct passengers from two 18-seater buses traveling from Jos, Plateau State, to Ibadan, Oyo State.
“The cr+minals stopped the buses and attempted to abd¥ct all the passengers. However, the swift response of troops led to a firefight, forcing the kidn+ppers to abandon their victims and flee into the bush,” Lt. Zubairu said. Fifteen passengers were rescued initially, while subsequent operations recovered five more adults and four minors. One passenger remains unaccounted for.
Major General Moses Gara, Force Commander of OPWS, commended the troops for their professionalism, describing their actions as a demonstration of commitment to public safety. He assured that the task force would continue intelligence-led patrols and collaborative operations with other security agencies to prevent criminal activity in the region.
Major General Gara also extended Christmas greetings to Christians across Benue, Nasarawa, and Taraba states, urging residents to uphold values of love, tolerance, and unity for peaceful coexistence.
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