Troops of Joint Task Force Operation Whirl Stroke have rescued six kidnap victims around Gbise community in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue.
Disclosing this in a statement issued on Saturday and made available to newsmen in Makurdi, the acting media information officer for OPWS, Lieutenant Ahmad Zubairu, said that the victims were rescued on Saturday.
According to Lt Zubairu, five of the victims were kidnapped along the Chenchengi-Takum road, while the sixth victim was kidnapped at his residence in Takum, Taraba.
The statement read partly, ‘Troops of Joint Operation Whirl Stroke on September, 25, 2026 received information regarding the presence of six released Kidnap victims.
‘Acting swiftly on the information, the troops immediately mobilised to the location and successfully evacuated the victims to a secure area for safety and further necessary action.
‘During preliminary investigation with the victims, five of them reportedly disclosed that they had been abducted along the Chenchengi-Takum road.
‘The sixth victim, Mr Munza Yusuf, stated that he was kidnapped from his residence within the Ahmadu General area of Takum Local Government Area of Taraba State,’ the statement read in part.
The media officer said that the troops have sustained aggressive and intelligence-led operations aimed at locating and apprehending members of the kidnapping syndicate responsible for the attacks.
He added that the troops were also intensifying patrols and human intelligence gathering to deny criminal elements the freedom to operate within vulnerable communities and along major routes.
Lt Zubairu identified the rescued victims to include Mr Gabriel Enujuba, aged 50; Mr Samson Magbo, aged 43; Mallam Alkasim Modu, aged 27; Mr Manzo Bello, aged 27; Mallam Sani Abdullahi, aged 25; and Mr Munza Yusuf, aged 25.
He stated that the OPWS had charged its troops to remain proactive, vigilant and responsive to emerging security threats and promised to strengthen human intelligence networks to facilitate the identification, tracking and apprehension of perpetrators.
The OPWS assured the people within its joint operation area ( Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba States) of its commitment to curb criminality, protect lives and property, and create a secure environment for residents, farmers, commuters and other law-abiding citizens.