Troops rescue 12 kidnapped victims in Benue

The Nigerian Army has announced that troops of Operation Whirl Stroke, OPWS, successfully rescued 12 victims who were kidnapped while in transit from Imo to Adamawa states.

The army reported that the rescue operation took place on Wednesday at Jootar village in the Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State.

According to Major General Sunday Igbinomwanhia, the commander of Operation Whirl Stroke, the kidnappers exploited an abandoned Federal Police Highway checkpoint.

“In a recent operation, based on credible human intelligence on the activities of kidnappers, troops of Sector 1 OPWS, on February 21, 2024, at Jootar village in Ukum LGA of Benue State, rescued 12 kidnapped victims who were in transit from Imo State to Adamawa State.

“Upon encountering the determined troops of OPWS armed with superior firepower, the kidnappers fled, abandoning their victims,” he stated.

Igbinomwanhia further revealed that an 18-seater bus belonging to Taraba Express International with registration number GKA-371XA was recovered from the kidnapper’s hideout and towed to the troop’s location.

The rescued victims include:

• Mr. Sule Abu, 55
• Mrs. Ashie Shuaibu, 26
• Master Suleiman Abdullahi, 3
• Mrs. Zainab Salau, 35
• Mr. Muritala Yussuf, 22
• Mrs. Zainab Saidu, 45
• Mr. Hammed Mamud, 51
• Mr. Usman Ali, 27
• Mr. Nura Abubakar, 24
• Mr. Mohammed Aliyu, 20
• Mrs. Felicia Asusi, 29
• Mr. Jacob Nathaniel, 22

The army assured that efforts are ongoing to ensure the safety and security of all citizens, urging the public to provide timely information to aid security operations in the region.