Troops from the 3 Division of the Nigerian Army and Operation SAFE HAVEN rescued Sixteen passengers who were abducted along the Jos-Mangu route in Plateau State.
According to information obtained, the rescue effort started around 9pm 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 bushes after finding the abandoned vehicle and discovered the kidnappers holding the passengers captive.
The kidnappers opened fire, but the troops’ superior firepower forced them to retreat, he said, and the abducted people were successfully freed.
The statement read, “Troops of 3 Division Nigerian Army and Operation SAFE HAVEN (OPSH) have rescued 16 passengers kidnapped along Jos – Mangu road in Plateau State. The rescue operation began when troops conducting Operation LAFIYAN JAMA’A discovered an empty vehicle abandoned by the roadside at Mararaban Kantoma in Mangu Local Government Area of the State at about 9pm local time on 13 April 2025.
“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 reaffirmed OPSH’s dedication to protecting lives and property within the Joint Operations Area, adding that troops remain motivated to deny miscreants freedom of action.
