Troops of Sector 1, Operation ENDURING PEACE (OPEP), have arrested three suspected kidnappers during a raid on a criminal hideout at Mista-Ali in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State. 

The operation was conducted at about 5:30 p.m. on August 14, 2026 following intelligence reports on the activities of suspected kidnappers operating in the area.

The troops raided the identified hideout and arrested three suspects, identified as Umar Aliyu, 25; Abdulrahman Adam, 25; and Bello Isa, 21.

Two other suspects reportedly escaped during the operation.

However, one of the fleeing suspects attacked and st@bbed a soldier, identified as CPL Muhammad Adam, with a knife while attempting to escape.

The injured personnel was immediately evacuated to the General Hospital, Mista-Ali, where he was admitted for medical attention.

A search of the houses belonging to the arrested suspects was subsequently conducted, but no incriminating items were recovered.

The three suspects remain in military custody and are assisting ongoing investigations into their activities and possible links to kidnapping operations in the area.

According to security analyst Zagazola Makama, the development highlights the continued efforts by security forces to dismantle criminal networks and prevent kidnappers from establishing hideouts in communities across Plateau State.