Troops Foil Attempted Kidnap of Pastor, Wife in Plateau

Nanman Bitrus and pastor Ayuba Bitrus

Troops Foil Attempted Kidnap of Pastor, Wife in Plateau

Troops of Sector 5 under Operation Enduring Peace have foiled an attempted kidnap of a pastor, Ayuba Bitrus, and his wife, Nanman Bitrus, in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, successfully rescuing the couple after a swift response to a distress call. The incident occurred late on June 5, 2026, at Faggem Village in Tarangol District of the local government area. Security sources identified the victims as Pastor Ayuba Bitrus and his wife, Mrs. Nanman Bitrus.

Troops deployed under Sector 5’s operational patrol responded swiftly to a distress call indicating that armed kidnappers were attempting to abduct the couple. The intervention by the troops reportedly forced the assailants to abandon the operation and flee the area. “The troops responded promptly to the report and engaged in efforts that compelled the kidnappers to abandon their mission and escape. The victims, who sustained injuries during the incident, were rescued and immediately evacuated to Dung Clinic in Bokkos for medical attention,” the sources said. The sources added that security personnel have launched efforts to track down and apprehend the fleeing suspects. They reaffirmed the commitment of Operation Enduring Peace to protecting lives and property across Plateau State and urged residents to continue supporting security agencies with timely and credible information.

The successful rescue operation comes amid heightened security challenges in Plateau State, where kidnapping for ransom has become a persistent threat to residents. Just a day before this incident, on June 4, 2026, troops of Operation Enduring Peace rescued six travellers who were kidnapped along the Hawan Kibo–Rafin Sanyin Road in Riyom Local Government Area of the state. In that separate incident, gunmen suspected to be kidnappers intercepted a commercial passenger vehicle conveying passengers from Lafia, Nasarawa State, to Jos, Plateau State. The Media Officer of Operation Enduring Peace, Captain Chinonso Polycarb Oteh, confirmed that troops of Sector 6 responded swiftly to a distress call and successfully rescued six of the abducted victims. Efforts were ongoing to rescue the driver of the vehicle, who remained missing at the time of the report.

READ ALSO:

Operation Enduring Peace, the military Joint Task Force operating in Plateau State, has been intensifying its efforts to curb insecurity in the region. In early May 2026, troops of the operation uncovered two illegal arms manufacturing factories in Vom, Jos South Local Government Area, arresting five suspects and recovering a large cache of locally fabricated weapons. The recovered items included nine fabricated AK-47 rifles, four welding machines, and other industrial equipment used in weapon fabrication. The operation, carried out by the Quick Response Force under Operation Enduring Peace, followed “highly intensified, comprehensive human intelligence gathering and strategic surveillance,” according to a statement by Captain Chinonso Polycarp Oteh. The military noted that the raid formed part of ongoing efforts aimed at disrupting the supply chain of illicit firearms and protecting law-abiding residents within the Joint Operations Area.

Major General Folusho Oyinlola, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3 Division of the Nigerian Army and Commander of Operation Enduring Peace, has repeatedly warned against all forms of criminality in the state. During a stakeholders’ engagement held in Shendam Local Government Area in late May 2026, he emphasized that the military would not tolerate any loss of lives, cattle rustling, or destruction of farmlands arising from farmer-herder clashes. “We cannot continue to tolerate violence resulting in the loss of lives as a result of farmer-herder conflict,” the GOC said, speaking through the Chief of Staff of Operation Enduring Peace, Brigadier General Senlong Sule.

As of the time of this report, no group has claimed responsibility for the attempted kidnapping of Pastor Ayuba Bitrus and his wife, and security agencies have not released further details regarding the identity of the fleeing suspects or the specific injuries sustained by the rescued couple. However, security sources confirmed that efforts to track down the assailants remain ongoing. The successful rescue operation highlights the effectiveness of rapid response mechanisms being deployed by security forces across Plateau State. Residents have been urged to continue providing timely and credible information to assist security agencies in their efforts to protect lives and property.