Troops Kill Bandit, Arrest Suspected Robbers, Cattle-Rustlers In Benue, Nasarawa

Troops of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) have intensified intelligence-driven operations across Benue and Nasarawa States, recording significant successes in recent days, including the neutralisation of an armed bandit and the arrest of several criminal suspects.

In a series of coordinated missions between February 3 and 5, 2026, the Joint Task Force comprising troops, police personnel, and the Benue State Civil Protection Guard, carried out aggressive patrols to tackle armed herders, bandits, and cattle rustlers threatening peace in rural communities.

According to a statement signed by Lieutenant Ahmad Zubairu Zubairu, Acting Media Information Officer of Operation Whirl Stroke, the troops “have continued to sustain an enhanced operational tempo through intelligence-led aggressive fighting patrols,” in line with the directive of the military high command.

On February 3, troops of Sector 1, OPWS, acting on credible intelligence, engaged armed herders in Ayamba Village, Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State.

During the brief gun battle, one armed bandit was neutralised, while troops recovered one AK-47 rifle, two magazines, and three rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition from the scene.

Similarly, on February 4, troops of Sector 2 deployed at Patrol Base Agyaragu in Nasarawa State arrested a suspected armed robber, identified as 34-year-old Adam Paul, following intelligence received from a local hunter about suspicious activities along the Asupe–Ome Road in Obi Local Government Area of the State.

The statement noted that preliminary interrogation revealed that Paul obtained the recovered AK-47 rifle from one Tela Obu of Duduguru Community. Two other suspects, John Amos and Elisha, fled the scene and remained at large as troops intensified efforts to apprehend them.

Also, on February 4, troops of the COAS Intervention Battalion IX, stationed in Agbaragba, Benue State, responded to a distress call about youths mobilising from Agagbe community to rustle cattle.

Upon arrival, troops found several dead cattle and arrested three suspects linked to the act. The suspects have been handed over to the Nigeria Police Force in Naka for investigation and prosecution.

The following day, February 5, troops at the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Agbagbe apprehended two suspects caught butchering rustled cattle inside a residential building in Agagbe Community. The duo was found in possession of mutilated meat believed to have been obtained from stolen livestock.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects were allegedly involved in cattle rustling activities within the general area, a criminal act that has continued to threaten livelihoods and undermine peace in rural communities,” the OPWS statement said.

Commending the troops for their “resilience, vigilance and aggressive posture in denying criminals freedom of action,” the Force Commander, Major General Moses Gara, said the recent operations reflected the military high command’s directive for commanders to scale up intelligence-led and aggressive patrols.

Major General Gara urged the troops to “sustain the momentum and maintain a strong fighting efficiency to deter and neutralise criminal activities within the Joint Operations Area.”

He also thanked local communities and other security agencies for their “continued support and cooperation,” which he said have been instrumental to the operation’s successes.