Jan. 5, 2026

Troops of Operation SAFE HAVEN (OPSH) have successfully rescued a retired senior army officer, Col. Victor Ajanaku, who was abducted by gunmen in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau.

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 Jan. 5.

He said the victim was abducted from his residence opposite the Salvation Army Church along Rukuba Road, Bassa LGA.

The source said the troops of Sectors 1 and 3 of the operation swiftly responded to the incident and trailed the kidnappers along their withdrawal route through the Wildlife Park axis.

He said the troops, working in collaboration with a Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) tracking team and local vigilantes, conducted sustained search-and-rescue operations around caves and rocky high grounds suspected to be criminal hideouts.

According to him, 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.

The sources disclosed that the kidnappers, having noticed the overwhelming presence of troops in pursuit, threatened to kill the abducted officer if the search-and-rescue operations continued.

This development, according to him, necessitated a tactical shift to covert operations by the troops.

He said the covert approach paid off as Col. Ajanaku was successfully rescued at about 5:30 p.m. on 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)