A k_dnapping attempt along the Otukpo–Enugu Expressway in Benue State was thwarted by troops of the Joint Task Force Operation WHIRL STROKE, saving 24 passengers and driving the attackers away.

Following a distress call, troops on routine patrol quickly mobilized to the Amoda axis in Ohimini Local Government Area, Benue State, on December 22, 2025, at approximately 10:00 p.m. 

In a statement released on Tuesday, December 23, Lieutenant Ahmad Zubairu Zubairu, Acting Media Information Officer, HQ JTF Operation WHIRL STROKE, revealed that the armed cr_minals had emerged from the bush and momentarily taken over an existing checkpoint. 

The attackers then stopped two eighteen-seater commercial buses that were traveling from Jos, Plateau State, to Ibadan, Oyo State, and tried to kidnap every passenger. However, Operation WHIRL STROKE troops intervened in a timely manner, resulting in a firefight that forced the kidnappers to abandon their victims and escape into the bush. 

Six adults and four minors were reported missing during the first encounter, but 15 passengers were saved and turned over to the Nigerian Police Division, Otukpo. Later operations resulted in the rescue of five more adults and all four minors, who are currently being held by the Police Area Command, Otukpo. Searches are still underway to find the remaining passenger.

Commenting on the development, the Force Commander Joint Task Force Operation WHIRL STROKE, Major General Moses Gara, commended the troops for their prompt response and professionalism. 

He reaffirmed the Task Force unwavering commitment to safeguarding lives and property within its Area of Responsibility, stressing that sustained offensive operations, intelligence-led patrols, and coordinated engagements with sister security agencies would continue to deny criminal elements freedom of action.

“Major General Moses Gara, extends warm Christmas and Yuletide greetings to all Christian faithful within the Joint Operations Area, covering Benue, Nasarawa, and Taraba States,” the statement read.

“He prays that the season brings God’s abundant mercy, peace, and enduring joy to families and communities. 

“The Force Commander urges all believers to remain united, to shun all forms of violence, and to live by the noble virtues exemplified by the Lord Jesus Christ of love, humility, tolerance, and compassion as a prerequisite for shared prosperity throughout the festive period and beyond.”