By Saminu Ibrahim
Troops of the Joint Task Force, Operation WHIRL STROKE (OPWS), have arrested a suspected kidnapper and rescued a kidnapped victim in separate operations in Nasarawa and Benue states.
SINL Nigeria Online reports that the operations, carried out as part of the ongoing intelligence-driven offensive against criminal elements in the Joint Operations Area, resulted in the arrest of a suspected kidnapper identified as Adamu Lamu at Agyaragu, Nasarawa State, on September 4.
The suspect was apprehended after one of the victims of the kidnapping syndicate, identified as 31-year-old Nehemiah Elisha, escaped from his abductors.
According to preliminary information, Elisha later spotted one of his alleged abductors at a market in Agyaragu and alerted troops deployed in the area.
The soldiers swiftly responded and arrested the suspect, who was subsequently handed over to the Nigeria Police for further investigation and prosecution.
In a separate operation on September 6, troops of the COAS Intervention Battalion XI, deployed at Torkula, Benue State, rescued a kidnapped victim along the Umene-Torkula Road.
The troops were conducting a routine patrol at about 10:07am when they found the victim, identified as Vincent Nyado, tied and abandoned by the roadside.
Preliminary findings indicated that Nyado had allegedly been abducted by suspected terrorists.
The suspects reportedly fled into the surrounding bushes after sighting the approaching troops, leaving their victim behind.
The rescued man was subsequently secured by the troops, while efforts are ongoing to gather more information and track down the fleeing suspects.
The Joint Task Force said Operation WHIRL STROKE remained committed to curbing violence across the North-Central region and Taraba State.
The task force urged troops to sustain intelligence-led operations and maintain close collaboration with other security agencies and local communities.
It also appealed to members of the public to provide credible and timely information to security agencies, stressing that public cooperation was crucial to combating criminal elements and improving security in the region.
