Nigerian Army troops have rescued a woman abducted in the Bauna area of Shendam Local Government Area, Plateau State, on 19 April 2026. She was found in Padam Forest, Quanpan Local Government Area, during a coordinated operation on Saturday, 25 April 2026, by troops of Operation ENDURING PEACE deployed in Sector 9 Shendam. Captain Chinonso Oteh, Media Information Officer for the Joint Task Force Operation ENDURING PEACE, disclosed the details in a statement issued on Monday. The rescue followed intelligence gathered and the interrogation of an arrested suspect who admitted being part of the kidnapping gang. Based on his confession, troops located the woman and recovered the sum of eight million Naira, which her family had paid as ransom. The money has been returned to the family. After rescue, the woman underwent a medical checkup at General Hospital Shendam before being reunited with her family. Oteh said troops are now conducting exploitation operations in Quanpan and Shendam LGAs to identify and apprehend other members of the syndicate. "Operation ENDURING PEACE appreciates the citizenry for their support and calls for more timely information that would assist in maintaining peace and security in the Joint Operations Area," Oteh said. He added that the operation reflects the military's commitment to dismantling criminal networks and protecting citizens within the Operation ENDURING PEACE Joint Operations Area.
The military recovered N8 million already paid by a family for a kidnapped woman's release, yet the operation only moved after a suspect's confession days after the abduction. The fact that the ransom was retrieved intact suggests it was never split among the gang, raising questions about how many others may still be held in the same forest. If Padam Forest is now confirmed as a hideout, it is unclear why prior intelligence did not prevent the kidnapping or trigger earlier action. Nigerians in Shendam and Quanpan remain exposed while operations respond only after families pay and suspects talk.
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