Nigerian troops raid Kisayi and Dogon Daji settlements in Bassa LGA, Plateau State, following the abduction of Dr. Abraham Owoicho, arresting a woman fleeing with rifle magazines and recovering an AK-47 and other weapons.
Bassa, Plateau State — August 22, 2026
Troops of Operation Enduring Peace, working alongside vigilantes and local hunters, carried out an intelligence-led raid on Kisayi and Dogon Daji settlements in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State, following the abduction of Dr. Abraham Owoicho on August 19, 2026.
According to the military, the operation caused several occupants of the settlements to flee into the surrounding bush as troops approached. However, soldiers apprehended a 30-year-old woman, identified as Halima Ibrahim, while she was allegedly attempting to escape with two AK-47 rifle magazines.
A subsequent cordon-and-search operation at her residence in Kisayi B Village led to the recovery of an AK-47 rifle, a locally fabricated revolver, a military jungle hat, and three mobile phones. Preliminary investigations indicate that the recovered AK-47 rifle allegedly belonged to her husband, identified only as Ibrahim, who was not present at the time of the raid.
Authorities say investigations are ongoing to establish the full circumstances behind the weapons cache and to determine any connection between the household and Dr. Owoicho's abduction, as well as the whereabouts of the doctor himself.
The raid adds to a recurring pattern of kidnappings across Bassa LGA, an area that has recorded multiple abduction cases in recent months, including a separate incident in Agingi village in July.
The targeting of a medical doctor is likely to heighten concern over the safety of health workers operating in the state's more remote LGAs, at a time when Plateau's security architecture is already stretched by the ongoing crisis in neighbouring Mangu LGA.
As of this report, Dr. Owoicho's whereabouts remained unknown, and security operatives said efforts to locate him and any remaining suspects are continuing.
More on Plateau