Soldiers kill suspected bandit in Benue raid

Soldiers of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) have killed one suspected bandit and recovered a large cache of arms during a raid on a criminals’ hideout in Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State. A statement by the Acting Media Information Officer of OPWS, Lieutenant Ahmad Zubairu, noted that the operation was carried out on Tuesday […]

Soldiers of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) have killed one suspected bandit and recovered a large cache of arms during a raid on a criminals’ hideout in Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State.

A statement by the Acting Media Information Officer of OPWS, Lieutenant Ahmad Zubairu, noted that the operation was carried out on Tuesday at the Mbagen community following credible intelligence on the activities of a notorious armed gang that had been terrorising the area.

Zubairu said ground troops, supported by the air component of OPWS, launched a snap raid on the hideout, leading to a fierce gun battle with the bandits.

He said that one of the criminals was “neutralised” in the encounter, while the gang leader narrowly escaped.

Zubairu explained that a subsequent search of the area led to the recovery of two AK-47 rifles, one G3 rifle, five AK-47 magazines, one G3 magazine, a hand grenade, two BAOFENG radios, 162 rounds of $7.62\text{mm}$ special ammunition, and a Sanya motorcycle believed to have been used for criminal operations.

The statement added that the Force Commander of OPWS, Major General Moses Gara, has commended the troops for their “tactical proficiency, gallantry, and resilience” during the operation.

He said the raid further disrupted the activities of armed gangs behind killings, kidnappings, and other violent crimes in the area.

Gara therefore reaffirmed the task force’s zero-tolerance stance toward criminality and warned bandits and other armed groups operating across Benue, Nasarawa, and Taraba states to surrender or face decisive military action.

He also urged troops to maintain discipline and high combat readiness while intensifying in-theatre training to counter emerging security threats.

The force commander assured that OPWS would sustain its offensive until all criminal elements threatening peace and stability in the area are eliminated.