The Plateau State Police Command has arrested a clergyman and two serving military personnel over an alleged plot to kidnap the wives of two prominent bishops in Jos, the state capital.
The suspects were arrested following intelligence received by the police regarding an alleged criminal conspiracy and a foiled attempt to abduct the women.
The incident occurred at about 2:10 p.m. on Friday, August 7, 2026, according to information attributed to the Plateau State Police Command.
One of the suspects was identified as 42-year-old Rev. Hassan Yunisim Mijah of Tudun Wada, Jos North Local Government Area.
According to information obtained by counter-insurgency expert and security analyst, Zagazola Makama, Mijah allegedly conspired with Sgt. Ezra Sunday, a Nigerian Air Force personnel, and OS Usman Khalid, a Nigerian Navy personnel, to abduct the wives of Bishop Ephraim Gongden and retired Bishop Benjamin Kwashi.
The two military personnel are reportedly attached to Sector 1 of Operation ENDURING PEACE (OPEP), the joint security operation tasked with maintaining peace and combating criminal activities in Plateau State.
The bishops are residents of the Rantya area of Jos South Local Government Area, where the alleged targets are believed to have connections.
The police reportedly acted swiftly after receiving intelligence about the alleged plot, deploying operatives to thwart the planned abduction.
The operation, led by the Commander of the Vigilance and Criminal Response Unit (VCRU), resulted in the arrest of the three suspects.
Police sources reportedly said the suspects were subsequently interrogated and allegedly confessed to their involvement in the suspected criminal conspiracy.
“On interrogation, suspects confessed to the crime,” the police reportedly stated.
The development has raised serious concerns, particularly because two of the suspects are serving members of the Nigerian Air Force and Nigerian Navy and are attached to a joint security operation established to protect lives and maintain peace in the troubled state.
The alleged involvement of serving security personnel in a kidnapping plot, if established, could raise fresh questions about the integrity of security operations and the infiltration of criminal networks within institutions entrusted with protecting the public.
The police have reportedly informed the leadership of Operation ENDURING PEACE about the arrest of the two personnel serving under the operation.
However, authorities have stressed that investigations are ongoing.
Investigators are expected to establish the full circumstances surrounding the alleged conspiracy, determine the motive behind the planned abduction and ascertain whether the suspects were acting independently or as part of a larger criminal network.
Efforts are also reportedly underway to identify and arrest other individuals who may have been involved in the alleged plot.
The arrests have consequently placed the spotlight not only on the alleged kidnapping attempt but also on the disturbing possibility of insiders within security formations being linked to criminal operations.