The troops of Operation Whirl Stroke have foiled a kidnapping attempt along the Otukpo–Enugu expressway in Benue State.
They, however, succeeded in rescuing 24 passengers who were traveling from Jos, Plateau State, to Ibadan in Oyo State on Monday night.
The acting information officer of OPWS, Lieutenant Ahmad Zubairu, stated this in a statement issued on Tuesday and made available to journalists in Makurdi early hours of Wednesday.
According to him, the incident occurred on 22 December 2025 at about 10:00 pm following a distress call, prompting troops on routine patrol to mobilise to the Amoda axis in Ohimini Local Government Area of the state.
The statement read in parts, “The armed criminals had emerged from the bush and briefly occupied an existing checkpoint. The assailants subsequently stopped two 18-seater commercial buses travelling from Jos, Plateau State, to Ibadan, Oyo State, and attempted to abduct all passengers.
“However, the timely intervention of troops of Operation WHIRL STROKE led to a firefight that compelled the kidnappers to abandon their victims and flee into the bush.”
The OPWS spokesman said that 15 passengers were initially rescued and handed over to the Nigerian Police Division, Otukpo, while six adults and four minors were declared missing.
He added that subsequent operations led to the rescue of an additional five adults and all four minors, who are now in custody of the Police Area Command, Otukpo, with search efforts ongoing to locate the remaining missing passenger.
The Force Commander Joint Task Force Operation Whirl Stroke, Major General Moses Gara, commended the troops for their prompt response and professionalism.
Gen. Gara reaffirmed the troops’ unwavering commitment to safeguarding lives and property within its area of responsibility through sustained offensive operations, intelligence-led patrols, and coordinated engagements with sister security agencies.
The force commander used the opportunity to extend Yuletide greetings to all Christian faithful within his areas of operations, Benue, Nasarawa, and Taraba states and prayed that the season brings God’s abundant mercy, peace, and enduring joy to families and communities.
He, however, urged all believers to remain united, shun all forms of violence, and live by the noble virtues exemplified by the Lord Jesus Christ of love, humility, tolerance, and compassion as a prerequisite for shared prosperity throughout the festive period and beyond.
Troops of OPWS have consistently had breakthroughs in curtailing the activities of bandits in the three states in recent times.
The troops of Operation Whirl Stroke in November arrested three suspected criminals bearing arms around Ohinmini Local Government Area of Benue State.
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