Riyom, Plateau State – Troops of Operation SAFE HAVEN (OPSH) have successfully eliminated three kidnappers during a foiled ransom collection operation in the Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State. The decisive action also led to the safe rescue of a kidnapped military officer, Corporal Munyal Abdullahi of the 3 Division of the Nigerian Army, Jos.
According to a detailed post shared on X (formerly Twitter) by security expert Zagazola Makama, the confrontation between the kidnappers and the troops occurred along the Jos–Makurdi road at the Rafin Sanyi area of the council. This interface was a direct result of the abduction of Corporal Munyal Abdullahi, who was kidnapped on Saturday, August 2, while travelling to Abuja.
Upon receiving intelligence regarding the soldier’s abduction, troops from Sector 6 of OPSH, in collaboration with the EIB STRATOC team, launched a coordinated operation on Monday, August 4. The operation spanned areas around Farin Lamba, Maraban Jama’a, and Ganawuri in both Jos South and Riyom LGAs. It was during this operation that the security forces encountered the kidnappers as they were attempting to collect a ransom of N500,000, which they had negotiated with the victim’s family.
“At about 5:35 p.m., a suspect was observed with a bag suspected to contain the ransom money en route to a POS shop. Troops monitored the suspect as he diverted through a bush path to link up with his gang,” Makama quoted an anonymous military source.
The situation quickly escalated when the suspect realized he was being trailed and raised an alarm, prompting other members of the syndicate to flee. “The troops pursued and engaged them, killing three of the suspects,” the military source further revealed.
From the scene of the encounter, the troops recovered N312,000 in cash, two knives, three mobile phones, and one AirPod device.
In a crucial development, the kidnapped soldier, Corporal Munyal Abdullahi, reportedly capitalized on the ensuing commotion to free himself and safely rejoin his unit, as confirmed by Makama’s report.
