Troops of Operation ENDURING PEACE have rescued two kidnapped victims, arrested 12 suspected criminals and recovered locally fabricated weapons and ammunition during separate operations across Plateau State.

The Joint Task Force, Operation ENDURING PEACE, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday, September 20, 2026, by its Media Information Officer, Captain Chinonso Polycarp Oteh.

According to the statement, troops of Sector 1, Sub-Sector 12, deployed at Lamingo, carried out operations in the early hours of Saturday, September 19, following credible intelligence on the activities of suspected kidnappers operating around Rayfield and other parts of Jos North Local Government Area.

The troops subsequently raided suspected criminal hideouts in Shere, Gwafan and Maza Hills, leading to the arrest of 11 suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate.

The task force said the operation was further strengthened by intelligence obtained from two victims who were kidnapped from Gwafan Community on September 18.

It said the victims, during preliminary investigation, positively identified three of the 11 arrested suspects as members of the syndicate allegedly responsible for their abduction.

In a related operation at about 6pm on September 19, troops of Sector 3 deployed in Bassa Local Government Area conducted a cordon-and-search operation based on credible intelligence.

The operation led to the recovery of one locally fabricated rifle and the arrest of a suspect.

According to the statement, troops were still dominating the area in an effort to apprehend other suspected members of the criminal group.

Similarly, troops of Sector 8 deployed in Mangu Local Government Area conducted a confidence-building patrol along the Tul–Ntam–Angwan Mata–Deng-Deng axis.

During the patrol, the troops apprehended a suspected criminal around the Water Board area after he allegedly attempted to conceal a weapon on sighting the soldiers.

A search of the suspect, according to the task force, led to the recovery of one locally fabricated automatic weapon, nine rounds of 7.62mm Special ammunition and one mobile phone.

The statement said all the arrested suspects were in custody and undergoing further investigation and intelligence exploitation to unravel the activities of the suspected syndicate and identify other members.

It added that the investigation would also facilitate follow-up operations aimed at apprehending other fleeing suspects.

The Commander, Operation ENDURING PEACE, Major General Maxwell Dangana, commended the troops for what he described as their professionalism, dexterity and timely response during the operations.

Dangana charged the troops to sustain the aggressive posture and maintain the momentum of operations to deny criminal elements freedom of action within the Joint Operations Area.

“The timely provision of credible information remains critical to the success of ongoing operations against criminal elements and efforts to consolidate the prevailing peace across the State,” the commander said.

He also appreciated the continued support and cooperation of residents of Plateau State and other relevant stakeholders in the ongoing security efforts.

Dangana assured residents of the state of the commitment of Operation ENDURING PEACE to protecting lives and property while strengthening existing peace and security efforts across Plateau State.