16 passengers who were abducted along the Jos-Mangu route in Plateau State have been freed by troops from the Nigerian Army’s 3 Division and Operation SAFE HAVEN.
According to information obtained, the rescue effort was started at approximately nine o’clock on Sunday evening after soldiers found an abandoned car in Mararaban Kantoma in the state’s Mangu Local Government Area.
Major Samson Zhakom, the spokesperson for Operation Safe Haven, confirmed the development in a statement on Monday. He claimed that troops promptly investigated the surrounding woods after finding the abandoned vehicle and discovered the kidnappers holding the passengers captive.
He claims that although the kidnappers opened fire, the troops’ overwhelming firepower forced them to retreat and the abducted people were successfully
According to the statement, 16 passengers who had been abducted along the Jos-Mangu road in Plateau State were freed by troops from the 3 Division Nigerian Army and Operation SAFE HAVEN (OPSH). At before 9 p.m. local time on April 13, 2025, troops carrying out Operation LAFIYAN JAMA’A found an empty car on the side of the road in Mararaban Kantoma, in the Mangu Local Government Area of the State. This marked the start of the rescue effort.
“The troops immediately searched the nearby bushes to trace the occupants of the vehicle suspected to have been kidnapped. The kidnappers, on sighting the troops opened fire, but own troops overwhelmed the criminals with superior firepower forcing them to abandon the victims and fled. Troops exploited the general area and rescued all 16 abducted passengers which included 6 children.
“Troops administered first aid to some of the rescued victims who sustained minor injuries during the incident. Thereafter, troops escorted the victims to safety to continue their journey to Jos Metropolis. Meanwhile, troops are on the lookout for the fleeing kidnappers suspected to have sustained gunshot wounds during the encounter with troops”
The statement reiterated OPSH’s commitment to protecting lives and property within the Joint Operations Area, adding that troops remain motivated to deny miscreants freedom of action.
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