The Nigerian Army has intensified operations across the North-Central region, destroying a major bandits’ camp in Taraba State and arresting seven suspected cultists in Benue in coordinated offensives under Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS).
According to a statement released on Saturday by Lieutenant Umar Muhammad, Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, troops of 6 Brigade, Jalingo, carried out a large-scale clearance operation around border villages in Takum Local Government Area on Friday.
The patrol, which covered Tor-Tser, Kofar Ahmadu, Tornyi, Unom, Mbayongo and Yongogba, was based on intelligence that armed groups were plotting attacks and using remote farmlands as hideouts.
“Following credible intelligence, troops swiftly redeployed to TY Farm in Tati, where bandits were sighted,” the statement read. “Confronted with superior firepower, the criminals fled deep into the forest.”
The soldiers later destroyed the hideout, recovering one Dane gun and several other items linked to the fleeing fighters.
Brigadier General Kingsley Chidiebere Uwa, Commander of 6 Brigade and Sector 3 OPWS, commended the troops for their swift response and professionalism, describing their success as evidence of improved tactical mobility and renewed operational discipline.
He reaffirmed the brigade’s determination to dominate vulnerable rural corridors, especially those prone to illegal taxation, ambushes, and night raids, urging locals to provide credible and timely intelligence to aid ongoing operations.
In a separate operation, troops of Operation Whirl Stroke raided a suspected cult base in the North Bank area of Makurdi, Benue State, an area long associated with gang violence and drug-related crime.
The raid, conducted on Thursday, October 30, resulted in the arrest of seven suspects believed to be involved in armed robbery, drug trafficking, and cult-related violence.
Items recovered included two locally fabricated pistols, a laptop, one cartridge, one round of 7.62mm ammunition, one empty shell casing, a dagger, and several bags containing charms and other incriminating materials.
All suspects are currently in military custody pending profiling and handover to relevant law enforcement agencies.
Major General Moses Gara, Force Commander OPWS, praised the troops for their “professionalism, vigilance, and resilience,” and directed continuous pressure on splinter gangs operating around North Bank and nearby university communities.
He urged youths to “shun cultism, drug abuse, and criminal behaviour,” emphasising that the military remains committed to stabilising communities across Benue and Taraba States.
The recent operations come amid growing concerns about arms trafficking routes linking Benue, Taraba, Nasarawa, and border forests extending into Cameroon, which have become safe havens for armed groups and criminal networks.
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