Soldiers save six kidnap victims in Taraba

Troops rescued six kidnap victims in Benue State. The operation underscores the ongoing fight against kidnapping in the region.

By Aproko Man

28 Sept 2026, 23:522 min read

Troops from Joint Task Force Operation Whirl Stroke have rescued six kidnap victims near Gbise community in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State.

The Acting Media Information Officer for OPWS, Lieutenant Ahmad Zubairu, shared this in a statement issued on Saturday. The statement was made available to journalists in Makurdi.

Lt Zubairu explained that five of the victims were taken along Chenchengi-Takum road. The sixth victim was kidnapped from his home in Takum, Taraba State.

On September 25, 2026, the troops received information about the released victims. “Acting quickly on the information, the troops moved to the location and successfully brought the victims to a safe area for further action,” he said.

During the first investigation with the victims, five of them reported they were kidnapped along the Chenchengi-Takum road. The sixth victim, Mr Munza Yusuf, shared that he was taken from his residence in the Ahmadu General area of Takum Local Government Area of Taraba State.

Lt Zubairu mentioned that troops of OPWS are carrying out aggressive and intelligence-led operations. They aim to find and catch the kidnapping gang behind the attacks.

He added that the troops are also increasing patrols and gathering information to stop criminals from operating in vulnerable areas and along major routes.

The acting media officer listed the rescued victims as Mr Gabriel Enujuba, aged 50; Mr Samson Magbo, aged 43; Mallam Alkasim Modu, aged 27; Mr Manzo Bello, aged 27; Mallam Sani Abdullahi, aged 25; and Mr Munza Yusuf, aged 25.

He said that OPWS has told its troops to stay active, alert, and responsive to new security threats. They promised to strengthen intelligence networks to help identify, track, and catch the kidnappers.

The OPWS assured people in its operational area (Benue, Nasarawa, and Taraba States) of their commitment to fight crime, protect lives and property, and create a safe environment for residents, farmers, commuters, and other law-abiding citizens.