Photo credit: @NigeriaArmy/X
Troops of Operation SAFE HAVEN (OPSH), Nigerian Army, have successfully rescued a retired senior army officer, Col. Joseph Ajanaku, who was abducted by gunmen in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State.
A credible Army Headquarters source told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the retired officer was kidnapped at about 12:45 a.m. on January 5 from his residence opposite the Salvation Army Church along Rukuba Road in Bassa LGA.
According to the source, troops drawn from Sectors 1 and 3 of Operation SAFE HAVEN swiftly mobilised after the incident and immediately trailed the kidnappers along their escape route through the Wildlife Park axis.
He explained that the troops, working closely with a Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) tracking team and local vigilantes, carried out sustained search-and-rescue operations around caves and rocky high grounds believed to serve as hideouts for criminal elements.
The source disclosed that later in the day, at about 2:00 p.m., the kidnappers reportedly contacted the victim’s wife and demanded a ransom of N200 million.
He added that the abductors, having observed the heavy troop presence closing in on them, threatened to kill the retired officer if the search-and-rescue operations continued.
“This development necessitated a tactical shift to covert operations by the troops,” the source said.
The change in strategy, he noted, proved effective, as Col. Ajanaku was successfully rescued at about 5:30 p.m. the same day at the outskirts of the Rafiki axis in Bassa LGA.
“The rescued retired officer is currently undergoing medical evaluation at the OPSH Medical Centre and will be debriefed to obtain actionable intelligence to aid follow-up operations.
“Meanwhile, troops have continued aggressive combing of surrounding forests in pursuit of the fleeing kidnappers,” he said.
(NAN)
