Kidnapped Army Officer Rescued in Plateau as Questions Mount Over State Security
Nigerian troops on Monday rescued a senior retired army officer who was abducted by gunmen from his residence in Bassa Local Government Area. The officer, identified as a retired colonel, was taken in the early hours of the morning, reportedly by armed men who operated with ease and confidence. Military sources said troops were mobilised shortly after the abduction, launching a search operation across surrounding communities and nearby bush paths. Hours later, the officer was located and freed, bringing relief to his family and colleagues. He was said to be receiving medical attention and is in stable condition. Yet beyond the successful rescue is an uncomfortable question about the security progress of a massive country as Nigeria. That a senior military figure, trained in security and long associated with the state’s coercive power, could be taken from his home without resistance points to a wider systemic collapse. It reflects a country where even those once entrusted with national defence are no longer shielded from the reach of criminal groups. Kidnapping for ransom has become routine across parts of Nigeria, cutting across class, profession and status. The abduction of a retired army colonel shows that rank no longer offers protection. Criminals now operate with the assumption that the state is slow, stretched or absent. Security analysis going round note that while rapid response by troops is commendable, it does not erase the fact that such attacks keep happening. Rescue operations are reactive. Prevention remains weak. For residents of Plateau and many other states, the incident reinforces a grim reality. If a senior security officer can be kidnapped from his own home, then ordinary citizens remain exposed, nightly, to the same threat.
| 2026-01-06 10:31:35