Troops of the Joint Task Force, Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), have killed a suspected bandit and arrested two suspected kidnappers in separate military operations in Benue State.
The acting Media Information Officer of the task force, Ahmad Zubairu, announced this in a statement issued on Friday.
Zubairu said troops, acting on credible intelligence, moved against suspected kidnappers operating an illegal checkpoint along the Jortar-Atume axis on 19 August.
He said the troops engaged the suspected bandits in a firefight, during which one of them, identified by the nickname “Cool Nigga”, was killed.
On arrival, the troops made contact with the criminals, resulting in a firefight during which one suspected bandit, identified by the nickname ‘Cool Nigga’, was neutralised, he said.
According to him, other members of the group fled, leaving behind a motorcycle that the troops recovered.
In a separate operation on the same day, troops deployed in Logo Local Government Area arrested two suspected kidnappers at Gou Village, Zubairu said.
The suspects were identified as Terhile Iyo, 44, and Vershima Emmanuel, 32.
The two men allegedly confessed to attempting to kidnap a resident of Gou Village, Balame Nyikwagh, according to the statement.
Items recovered from them included a locally made pistol, one cartridge, five Tecno torchlight phones, a MoniePoint ATM card, an identity card, multiple SIM cards, and charms.
The suspects remain in military custody for further investigation, according to the task force.
The operations occur amidst renewed attacks and kidnapping incidents across Benue in recent weeks.
On 20 August, the Benue State Police Command announced the rescue of 13 passengers who had been kidnapped while travelling from Enugu to Abuja. The victims were rescued after five days in captivity at Amla-Cho Forest in Otukpo Local Government Area.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported on 14 August that five other victims, including a four-year-old boy, had been rescued after the commercial bus was attacked along the Ankpechi-Omutele route of Ohimini Local Government Area.
The police later disclosed that one suspect was killed during a gun battle with security operatives on 16 August, with an AK-47 rifle and five rounds of ammunition recovered.
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The state has also witnessed renewed attacks on rural communities. On 16 August, gunmen attacked several communities in Mbazun Ward of Ukum Local Government Area, killing and injuring residents.
The attacks have heightened concerns among residents and community leaders over the security of farming communities and major routes across the state.
OPWS urged residents to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies to support ongoing operations against criminal groups.
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