Troops from Operation ENDURING PEACE (OPEP) have successfully rescued a retired senior officer of the Nigerian Army, Colonel Ajanaku (Rtd), following his abduction by unidentified gunmen in the Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The retired officer was kidnapped in the early hours of 5 January 2026, around 00:45, from his home opposite the Salvation Army Church along Rukuba Road, Bassa LGA. Upon receiving the distress call, troops from Sectors 1 and 3 of Operation ENDURING PEACE quickly mobilised and pursued the kidnappers along their escape route through the Wildlife Park.
The troops, in coordination with the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) Tracking Team and local vigilantes, carried out intensive search and rescue operations, scouring suspected criminal hideouts across caves and rocky outcrops in the vicinity.
Later that day, at approximately 14:00, the kidnappers contacted the wife of the abducted officer, demanding a ransom of Two Hundred Million Naira (₦200,000,000.00). Noticing the overwhelming presence and pressure from the pursuing troops, the kidnappers threatened to kill the victim if the search operations were not halted.
In response, the troops tactically shifted to covert operations, culminating in the successful rescue of Colonel Ajanaku (Rtd) at around 17:30 on 5 January 2026, on the outskirts of the Rafiki Axis, Bassa LGA, Plateau State, without any ransom being paid.
The rescued retired officer is currently undergoing a medical examination at the Operation ENDURING PEACE Medical Centre and is reported to be in stable condition. He will be debriefed to provide crucial intelligence that will assist ongoing follow-up operations.
Meanwhile, troops from Operation ENDURING PEACE continue their aggressive combing operations in the surrounding forests to apprehend the fleeing kidnappers and dismantle their criminal network.
The Nigerian Army, through Operation ENDURING PEACE, reaffirms its unwavering commitment to safeguarding lives and property, vowing to deny criminal elements the freedom to operate across the Joint Operations Area.
