Nigerian Army troops have successfully rescued a retired senior officer, Colonel Joseph Ajanaku, after being abducted by gunmen in Plateau State on Monday. The rescue operation, conducted by the 3rd Division and Operation Enduring Peace, took place just hours after the officer was seized from his home.
Armed bandits snatched the officer from his residence in the Bassa Local Government Area on Monday morning. Immediately after his abduction, the Nigerian Army tracked the kidnappers, and eventually secured his release near Rafiki axis on the outskirts of Bassa at exactly 5:30 pm on Monday evening, less than 18 hours after he was kidnapped from his home. No ransom was paid, despite demands from the kidnappers.
The kidnappers demanded a ransom of ₦200 million and threatened to kill the officer, but the military successfully managed to covert operations and bypass the threat.
The mission was successful due to a joint operation between the Army’s 3rd Division and the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), utilizing tracking technology to trail the suspects into the Rafiki caves.
I can confirm that the senior officer was rescued by our troops in the early hours of the evening. He is currently being treated at our medical facility for a check-up – Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Danja, Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations
Troops has already been deployed to Bassa Forest to comb the surrounding forests for the fleeing kidnappers.
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