Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The stones were the first sign that something was wrong. Travellers along the Kassa–Barkin Ladi highway in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State have become used to the unpredictability of the road, but on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, a group of suspected armed robbers took their ambush to a new level, blocking the highway with stones to force vehicles to stop. Among the travellers intercepted was a woman whose identity has not been disclosed. She was taken by the gunmen and disappeared into the surrounding bush with her captors. For hours, her fate was unknown. Then, in the early hours of Wednesday, September 16, something remarkable happened. She escaped.
Security analyst and counterinsurgency expert Zagazola Makama, citing security sources, disclosed that the woman managed to break free from her abductors and subsequently made her way to safety. She was later taken to a hospital in Heipang, where she is currently receiving treatment for minor injuries sustained during the incident. The details of how she escaped—whether she slipped away while her captors were distracted, found an unguarded moment in the darkness, or simply ran until she could run no more—have not been fully established. Security sources said a team has been deployed to independently verify the circumstances surrounding her escape, including determining the exact location from which she fled and gathering further evidence.
What is known is that the woman's ordeal began when the armed men obstructed the highway with stones, a tactic that has become increasingly common on Plateau's highways. The stones force drivers to slow down or stop, creating a window for the attackers to strike. The woman was among those taken. But her story did not end in captivity. She escaped, and she survived.
The response from security forces was swift after the abduction was reported. Troops of Sector 4, Operation Enduring Peace, deployed at the Alpha Guard location, moved to the scene and cleared the highway. During their operation, they discovered an ash-coloured Sharon vehicle without a registration number abandoned at the scene. The vehicle, which may have belonged to one of the victims or been abandoned by the attackers, has become a piece of evidence in the ongoing investigation. The troops' intervention restored movement along the highway, but by the time they arrived, the woman had already escaped and was making her way to safety.
The Kassa–Barkin Ladi axis has become one of the most dangerous stretches of road in Plateau State. It is an area where armed men operate with a level of impunity that has made travel a gamble for commuters, traders, and farmers. The highway connects communities that have been repeatedly targeted by kidnappers, and the tactics employed by the attackers—blocking roads with stones, intercepting vehicles, and disappearing into the bush with their victims—have become distressingly familiar. In the past month alone, troops of Operation Enduring Peace have responded to multiple kidnapping incidents along the Jos–Makarfi highway in Riyom Local Government Area, rescuing injured passengers and launching operations to free those taken captive. The abduction of the woman on Tuesday was the latest in a series of attacks that have turned Plateau's highways into corridors of fear.
The fact that the woman escaped is a rare piece of good news in a region where kidnappings often end in prolonged captivity, ransom negotiations, or worse. But her escape also raises uncomfortable questions. How did she manage to flee from armed captors who had just demonstrated their willingness to use violence to seize her? Were the abductors careless, or was she simply lucky? And what does her escape say about the capacity of the security forces to protect travellers on roads that have become hunting grounds for criminal gangs?
The Plateau State Government has repeatedly condemned the attacks and called for stronger security measures. Governor Caleb Mutfwang has described the violence as a threat to the state's peace and security architecture, and has called for regional cooperation to tackle the criminal networks operating across state boundaries. But the attacks have continued, and the people of Plateau have grown weary of condolences and promises of action. The woman who escaped on Wednesday morning is a testament to the resilience of ordinary Nigerians who refuse to become victims. She ran, she survived, and she made it to a hospital where she is now receiving treatment. Her escape is a story of courage in the face of terror, but it is also a reminder that thousands of other Nigerians are not so fortunate. They remain in captivity, their families waiting for news, their futures uncertain.
Security forces are expected to intensify efforts to identify and apprehend the suspected kidnappers operating along the Kassa–Barkin Ladi axis. The abandoned Sharon vehicle will be examined for forensic evidence, and the security team deployed to verify the circumstances of the woman's escape will attempt to reconstruct the sequence of events. But the road remains dangerous, and the men who blocked it with stones on Tuesday night are still at large. For the woman in the hospital in Heipang, the nightmare is over. For the travellers who will use that highway tomorrow, the fear remains.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments