Soldiers from Sector 9 of the Joint Task Force Operation Enduring Peace successfully freed eight kidnapped individuals during an offensive in the Pandam Forest, located in the Qua’an Pan Local Government Area of Plateau State. Captain Chinonso Polycarp Oteh, the spokesperson for the task force, confirmed the news in a report released in Jos on Friday.
The mission began early Wednesday morning around 3:00 am, prompted by intelligence reports regarding criminal activity in the area. When troops encountered the kidnappers, a brief gun battle ensued. During the chaos, three hostages managed to flee, prompting the soldiers to ramp up their search and clearance efforts throughout the forest.
By conducting a detailed sweep of the terrain, the military located and rescued five more captives, confirming a total of eight survivors. All rescued individuals are safe, and the military is currently working to return them to their families. Meanwhile, soldiers are actively tracking the remaining suspects to bring them to justice. Local residents have praised the intervention and pledged to assist security services in identifying further threats to restore stability to the region.
