Nigerian security forces foil Christmas Day attacks in Benue, Plateau

Nigerian security forces thwarted separate criminal operations in Benue and Plateau states on Christmas Day, officials said.

The police and the military carried out the operations in the neighbouring states.

In Benue State, the police said they foiled a kidnapping attempt along the Gboko–Makurdi Road and rescued a traveller identified as Geoffrey Akume.

The Benue State Police Command spokesperson, Udeme Edet, a deputy superintendent of police, disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday.

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Ms Edet said the incident occurred in the early hours of Christmas Day at Tiortu community, along the busy Gboko–Makurdi corridor.

According to her, Mr Akume was travelling from Gboko to Makurdi when armed men, suspected to be kidnappers, intercepted his vehicle and forcefully abducted him.

“The victim was accosted by armed men at Tiortu and was being taken deeper into a nearby forest,” she said.

She said operatives of the command were mobilised immediately after distress information was received, leading to intensive patrols and a coordinated search of the area.

“On sighting the police team and hearing the sirens, the perpetrators abandoned the victim and fled into the forest,” Ms Edet said.

She added that the victim was rescued unhurt and that no ransom was paid.

“The police patrol team successfully rescued the victim. He was taken to Abinse Police Station, where the Commissioner of Police debriefed him and later reunited him with his family,” she said.

The Benue Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Emenari, commended the officers involved in the operation and reassured residents of the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property during the festive season.

“He assured residents that patrols, stop-and-search operations, and intelligence-led policing have been intensified across strategic locations in the state,” Ms Edet said.

She also said efforts were ongoing to track down the fleeing suspects.

In Plateau State, troops of the Nigerian Army under the 3 Division and Joint Task Force Operation Enduring Peace foiled a planned attack by suspected bandits in Bokkos Local Government Area, killing one of the assailants and recovering weapons.

The spokesperson for Operation Enduring Peace, Samson Zhakom, a major, said the operation was carried out in the early hours of 25 December at Gwande community in Monguna District.

Mr Zhakom said the troops acted on credible intelligence that indicated that armed bandits were mobilising to attack a nearby community during the Christmas period.

“Troops conducted a decisive operation at Gwande community where they made contact with a group of armed bandits preparing to launch an attack,” he said. “The criminals were swiftly engaged, forcing them to flee in disarray.”

He said one of the bandits was killed during the exchange of gunfire, while others escaped with possible gunshot wounds.

Items recovered from the scene included “one fabricated revolver rifle, one fabricated pistol, nine rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, and six cartridges,” Mr Zhakom said.

He added that preliminary feedback from residents confirmed that the slain suspect was a member of a notorious criminal syndicate that had terrorised Gwande and its surrounding communities.

“Following this development, troops have intensified follow-up operations to track down, intercept, and apprehend the fleeing members of the syndicate,” he said.

Mr Zhakom said the task force remained committed to safeguarding lives and property in Plateau State and urged residents to provide timely and credible information to security agencies.

“Criminal elements operating within the Joint Operations Area are warned to desist from all forms of illegal activities or face decisive military action,” he said.

PREMIUM TIMES had earlier reported another security operation by troops of Operation Enduring Peace in Plateau State, underscoring heightened military activity during the yuletide period.

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On 24 December, troops disrupted a suspected gunrunning syndicate in Vom, Jos South Local Government Area, arresting three suspects and recovering locally fabricated AK-47 rifles, ammunition, knives, and mobile phones.

The military said the intelligence-led operation was aimed at dismantling illicit arms supply chains in the state.

It said troops encountered resistance while withdrawing from the area, as some youths and women blocked the road and attacked personnel and vehicles, resulting in injuries to one soldier and damage to operational vehicles.

The military said the situation was swiftly brought under control and that the arrested suspects and recovered arms were taken into custody for further investigation.

Security agencies said the operations in north-central Nigeria were part of broader efforts to curb kidnapping and armed criminality and to ensure public safety during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.