Troops of Sector 1 of Operation Enduring Peace, OPEP, on Tuesday, successfully thwarted an armed robbery attempt at the residence of a pastor in Hwol Buju community in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State.

Media Information Officer of OPEP, Captain Polycarp Oteh, who disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, said troops of the security outfit were alerted to the attack on the residence of the man of God identified as Pastor Inyam Inyam in the early hours of Tuesday and promptly swung into action, forcing the assailants to abandon their operation and flee.

Captain Oteh said the troops responded to reports of gunshots at the residence of the pastor and the swift intervention of the troops disrupted the attack and compelled the suspected armed robbers to escape before carrying out their mission.

Upon receiving the distress report, troops moved to the area and engaged in efforts that forced the criminals to flee the scene.

“The suspects abandoned their operation and escaped before security forces arrived,” the OPEP spokesman said.

He added that the pastor and his daughter, Hannatu Inyam, sustained injuries during the incident and were evacuated to a hospital in Mista-Ali for medical treatment.

“A spent 7.62mm special ammunition casing was recovered at the scene as part of ongoing investigations.

“Medical examination later indicated that the female victim had been sexually assaulted during the attack,” he added.

The statement also stated that a manhunt has been launched to apprehend the fleeing suspects while investigations have commenced into the incident.

He urged members of the public to provide credible information that could assist security agencies in locating the suspects and preventing similar incidents, while reaffirming OPEP’s commitment to protecting lives and property across Plateau State and other areas within the joint operations area.