Muhammed Abubakar, Reporting
TROOPS from Operation ENDURING PEACE have rescued a kidnapped woman and recovered the N8 million ransom paid by her family, after a coordinated operation in Sector 9, Shendam, on Saturday, 25 April 2026.
The victim, a female resident of the Bauna area in Shendam Local Government Area, was originally abducted on 19 April 2026.
Military authorities said the rescue followed “rigorous intelligence gathering” and the interrogation of a suspect who later confessed to the crime.
According to a statement signed by the Media Information Officer, Captain Chinonso Polycarp Oteh, the breakthrough led troops to the victim’s location in Padam Forest, Quanpan Local Government Area, where she was found and freed.
In a rare turn of events, security forces also recovered the full ransom sum of 8 million Naira (approximately £8,000), which the victim’s family had already handed over to the kidnappers.
After the rescue, the woman underwent a thorough medical check-up at the general hospital in Shendam before being formally reunited with her relatives.
The ransom money was subsequently returned to the family.
Captain Oteh stressed that the operation demonstrates the military’s commitment to dismantling criminal networks and protecting citizens within the Operation ENDURING PEACE Joint Operations Area.
Troops are now conducting follow-up exploitation operations in hideouts across Quanpan and Shendam LGAs to track down other members of the syndicate.
Operation ENDURING PEACE thanked the public for their ongoing support and called for timely information to help maintain peace and security in the region.
