The victims were rescued on Wednesday at Jootar village in the Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State.
The Force Commander of Operation Whirl Stroke, Major General Sunday Igbinomwanhia, told journalists that the kidnappers took advantage of the abandoned Federal Police Highway checkpoint.
The rescue operation comes after a serving Nigerian Air Force officer, Air Commodore John Ijudigal, recused two persons held hostage by suspected one-chance operators along the Wuse Zone 5 area of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Igbinomwanhia said that an 18-seater bus belonging to Taraba Express International with Serial Number 212 and Registration Number GKA-371XA TARABA STATE was recovered from the kidnapper’s den and towed to the troop’s location.
The rescued victims are identified as, Mr. Sule Abu, age 55, Mrs. Ashie Shuaibu age 26, Master Suleiman Abdullahi age 3, Mrs. Zainab Salau age 35, Mr. Muritala Yussuf age 22, Mrs. Zainab Saidu age 45, Mr. Hammed Mamud age 51, Mr. Usman Ali age 27, Mr. Nura Abubakar age 24, Mr. Mohammed Aliyu age 20, Mrs. Felicia Asusis age 29, and Mr. Jacob Nathaniel age 22.
The force commander reiterated the troop’s continuous efforts in collaborating with other security agencies in making Benue, Nasarawa, and Taraba States safe from any form of criminal activities
He further reassured the general public that OPWS will continue to ensure the safety of the lives and properties of all patriotic citizens within the Joint Task Force Joint Operations Area.