Troops Free Nine Hostages And Apprehend Two Suspects In Benue State

Troops rescue nine kidnapped travelers, arrests two in Benue forest

Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) troops have successfully freed nine out of the kidnap victims who were kidnapped last Thursday along the Otukpa/Enugu road.

On Thursday, January 11, 2024, a commercial vehicle along the Otukpa/Enugu federal highway was reportedly kidnapped by some gunmen. In an interview with newsmen in Makurdi on Thursday, Major General Sunday Igbinowanhia, the Force Commander of OPWS, made this statement.

The commander said that troops in conjunction with the Nigeria Police Force, and the Benue State Community Volunteer Guard worked on intelligence reports provided by residents. According to the commander, “On January 16, 2024, troops of section 6 Operation Whirl Stroke in conjunction with the Nigeria Police Force and the Benue State Community Volunteer Guard acting on credible intelligence, stormed the hideout of suspected kidnappers at Owukpa Forest in Ogbadibo Local Government Area of Benue State.

“The raid operation was premised on the kidnap of passengers transiting in a commercial bus along Otukpa - Enugu Road on 11 January 2024.” 

He said that during the operation, two suspected kidnappers were taken into custody and nine passengers—eight of whom were female and one of whom was male—were rescued.

The kidnap victims who were rescued have been given permission to continue on to their intended destinations. Ten cell phones and an AK-47 rifle were among the items found at the scene.

General Igbinowanhia commended the locals for providing the information that resulted in the kidnapper's hideout being located and the victims being rescued. He also urged the residents of the states of Benue, Nasarawa, and Taraba to continue using the emergency numbers provided by the command to provide reliable information to OPWS. It was reported that the police had received all of the items found during the raid and the suspects who had been arrested for further action.