Shola Akinyele
Troops of the Nigerian Army under Operation ENDURING PEACE (OPEP) have successfully rescued a retired senior military officer, Colonel Ajanaku (Rtd), from kidnappers in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State, following a swift and coordinated rescue operation.
The retired colonel was abducted 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, Bassa LGA, by unidentified armed men.
According to military sources, troops from Sectors 1 and 3 of Operation ENDURING PEACE were immediately mobilised after receiving a distress call and began trailing the kidnappers along their escape route through the Wildlife Park axis.
The search-and-rescue mission was reinforced by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) Tracking Team and local vigilante groups, who jointly conducted intensive combing of suspected criminal hideouts, including caves and rocky high grounds within the area.
At about 2:00 p.m., the kidnappers reportedly contacted the victim’s wife, demanding a ransom of ₦200 million and threatening to kill the retired officer if the search operations were not halted.
In response, troops tactically adjusted their approach, switching to covert operations to avoid endangering the victim. The strategy paid off, as Colonel Ajanaku (Rtd) was successfully rescued at about 5:30 p.m. on the same day at the outskirts of the Rafiki Axis, Bassa LGA, without the payment of any ransom.
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