Troops of Operation Enduring Peace (OPEP) have rescued a retired senior officer of the Nigerian Army, Colonel Ajanaku (retd.), who was abducted by gunmen in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The retired officer was kidnapped in the early hours of Monday, January 5, 2026, at about 12:45 a.m. from his residence opposite the Salvation Army Church along Rukuba Road in Bassa LGA. Following a distress call, troops from Sectors 1 and 3 of Operation Enduring Peace were immediately deployed and trailed the abductors along their escape route through the Wildlife Park.
The rescue operation was conducted in collaboration with the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) tracking team and local vigilantes, with troops combing suspected criminal hideouts, including caves and rocky high grounds in the area.
At about 2:00 p.m. the same day, the kidnappers reportedly contacted the victim’s wife, demanding a ransom of ₦200 million and threatening to kill the retired officer if military search efforts continued. In response, troops tactically switched to covert operations to avoid endangering the victim.
The strategy paid off as Colonel Ajanaku was successfully rescued at about 5:30 p.m. on the outskirts of the Rafiki axis of Bassa LGA without any ransom being paid.
The rescued officer is currently receiving medical attention at the Operation Enduring Peace Medical Centre and is said to be in stable condition. He is expected to be debriefed to provide intelligence that will support ongoing follow-up operations.
Meanwhile, troops have intensified combing operations in surrounding forests to track down the fleeing kidnappers and dismantle their criminal network. The Nigerian Army reaffirmed its commitment to protecting lives and property and vowed to continue denying criminal elements freedom of action across the joint operations area.
