By Kingsley Omonobi

Troops of Sector 9 of Operation Enduring Peace have rescued eight kidnapped victims during a clearance operation in Pandam Forest, Qua’an Pan Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The operation, carried out in the early hours of Wednesday, followed credible intelligence on the presence of suspected kidnappers in the forest.

The Media Information Officer of Operation Enduring Peace, Captain Polycarp Oteh, said the troops, deployed from Namu Town in Qua’an Pan LGA, launched the offensive at about 3 a.m. as part of ongoing efforts to restore peace and protect lives across the Joint Operations Area.

According to him, the troops came under fire from the suspected kidnappers, who opened sporadic gunfire while attempting to flee.

During the exchange, three of the kidnapped victims escaped from their captors.

Captain Oteh said troops subsequently combed the forest, leading to the rescue of five additional victims and bringing the total number rescued to eight.

“The rescued victims are in safe condition, and efforts are ongoing to reunite them with their respective families,” he said.

He added that the successful operation had been widely applauded by members of the local communities, who pledged to continue providing credible information to support security operations.

The troops are currently pursuing the fleeing kidnappers with the aim of arresting or neutralising them.

Operation Enduring Peace also commended residents for their cooperation and urged them to continue supporting security agencies with timely information to help combat criminal activities and restore lasting peace across the area.