JOS, Nigeria \u2014 Troops of Operation Enduring Peace in Plateau State have thwarted multiple kidnap attempts, including the abduction of a pastor and his wife, and rescued 10 victims in separate operations across Plateau and Kaduna states, the military said Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Captain Chinonso Polycarp Oteh, spokesperson for the Joint Military Task Force, disclosed in a statement that the operations were carried out within the last 48 hours. He said the coordinated raids disrupted criminal gangs operating along major highways and rural communities, freeing victims who had been held in captivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kidnappings for ransom have become a persistent security challenge in Nigeria, particularly in the north-central and northwest regions. Plateau and Kaduna states have witnessed repeated abductions targeting travelers, clergy, and schoolchildren. In 2021, dozens of students were kidnapped from Bethel Baptist High School in Kaduna, while Plateau has seen a surge in attacks on rural communities by armed groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In March 2024, bandits abducted more than 80 children in Katsina State, later releasing them after negotiations. Clergy have often been targeted, with several pastors and imams kidnapped in recent years, sparking outrage among religious communities. Highway kidnappings along the Abuja-Kaduna road remain one of the most notorious examples of Nigeria\u2019s insecurity crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nigerians expressed relief at the rescue but frustration that kidnappings remain rampant. \u201cWe thank the soldiers, but why does this keep happening?\u201d one user posted on social media. Human rights activists urged the government to prioritize prevention, not just rescue operations, stressing that communities live in constant fear. Lawmakers in Abuja praised the military\u2019s efforts but called for stronger intelligence gathering and better coordination with local vigilantes. Religious leaders welcomed the rescue of the pastor and his wife, describing it as \u201ca miracle,\u201d but warned that clergy remain vulnerable targets. Analysts said the rescues highlight both the bravery of troops and the scale of Nigeria\u2019s kidnapping epidemic, which continues to undermine public trust in government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For many Nigerians, the rescue is a moment of relief but also a reminder of the country\u2019s deepening insecurity crisis. The debate now centers on whether military operations alone can stem the tide of abductions or if broader reforms in policing, governance, and community engagement are urgently needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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JOS, Nigeria \u2014 Troops of Operation Enduring Peace in Plateau State have thwarted multiple kidnap attempts, including the abduction of a pastor and his wife, and rescued 10 victims in separate operations across Plateau and Kaduna states, the military said Sunday. Captain Chinonso Polycarp Oteh, spokesperson for the Joint Military Task Force, disclosed in a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":32667,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3699,2096,4,478,3,1138],"tags":[18498,18489,18497,11187,4207,5328,18496,89,12373,10005],"class_list":["post-32660","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-africa","category-economics","category-featured","category-financial","category-naija-news","category-politics","tag-highway-insecurity","tag-human-rights-activists","tag-joint-military-task-force","tag-kaduna-state","tag-kidnapping-crisis","tag-operation-enduring-peace","tag-pastor-abduction","tag-plateau-state","tag-policy-makers","tag-social-media-reactions"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.funminews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Troops-thwart-terrorist-attacks-neutralise-scores-in-Borno-Adamawa.webp?fit=1890%2C1063&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32660","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32660"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32660\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32666,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32660\/revisions\/32666"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32667"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32660"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32660"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32660"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}