On Wednesday, the Defence Headquarters asserted that Operation Safe Haven troops had purportedly cleared the lairs of suspected bandits and kidnappers in the Plateau and Kaduna States.
According to a statement released on Wednesday in Abuja by Major-Gen. Bernard Onyeuko, Director of Defence Media Operations, some bandits and kidnappers were killed during separate clearance operations carried out in the two states.
He went on to say that the operations were carried out on Tuesday in collaboration with local vigilante groups.
Among the items recovered during the operations were two AK47 rifles, 101 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, five magazines, one motorcycle, one iron digger, and two black jackets.
The statement read: “Troops of Operation Safe Haven in a sustained effort to eliminate criminal elements in their areas of operation on June 28, 2022, based on credible intelligence, conducted clearance operations in conjunction with vigilantes at Kan Duniya Village, Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State neutralised notorious bandits and kidnappers.
“Similarly, on the same day, troops on fighting patrol sighted two suspected kidnappers around the Sara High Ground Mangu Local Government Area Plateau State on a motorcycle. Suspects abandoned their motorcycle on sighting the troops and fled.
“Also, troops conducted a cordon search operation at Fanock Village, Jema’a Local Government Area in Kaduna State and found a Toyota Corolla car with registration number ABUJA KUJ 452 AZ with no occupant. Troops conducted search operations in the surrounding bush and rescued three kidnaped civilians; two females and a male.”
The spokesman revealed that the troops also arrested 10 suspected armed robbers in Kafanchan Town, Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State.