Nigerian Army Troops eliminate 3 Kidnappers During Ransom Pickup in Plateau

Troops of Operation SAFE HAVEN (OPSH) have neutralized three suspected kidnappers during a failed ransom collection attempt in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State.

According to a report shared on X (formerly Twitter) by security analyst Zagazola Makama, the encounter occurred along the Jos–Makurdi road at Rafin Sanyi, following the abduction of Corporal Munyal Abdullahi, a soldier of the 3 Division, Nigerian Army, Jos.

Corporal Abdullahi was kidnapped on Saturday, August 2, while en route to Abuja. Upon confirmation of the abduction, troops from Sector 6 of OPSH, in collaboration with the EIB STRATOC team, launched a coordinated search-and-rescue operation on Monday, August 4.

The troops tracked the kidnappers to areas around Farin Lamba, Maraban Jama’a, and Ganawuri in Jos South and Riyom LGAs. The syndicate was intercepted just as they attempted to collect a negotiated ransom of ₦500,000.

“At about 5:35 p.m., a suspect carrying a bag believed to contain the ransom was seen heading to a POS shop. He diverted through a bush path to meet his gang members,” a military source quoted by Makama said.

Sensing they were being followed, the suspect raised an alarm, triggering a shootout between the troops and the gang. During the engagement, three kidnappers were killed.

Items recovered from the scene included ₦312,000 in cash, three mobile phones, two knives, and an AirPod device.

Amid the chaos, the kidnapped soldier managed to escape and safely reunited with his unit.