Troops serving under the Joint Task Force, Operation Whirl Stroke, have killed two suspected armed bandits during a surprise ambush on the Naka to Ahume to Makurdi Road in Benue State, a north-central state in Nigeria.
The operation took place on Monday, 26 January 2026, when soldiers from the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Special Intervention Battalion IX deployed for Operation Whirl Stroke carried out what the military described as a quick, intelligence-led action near Naka, a town in Benue State.
In a statement issued on Monday, 26 January 2026, and signed by Lieutenant Ahmad Zubairu, the Acting Media Information Officer at the Headquarters of Joint Task Force Operation Whirl Stroke, the troops were on a routine fighting patrol around Naka when they received information suggesting that armed bandits were moving along the road.
Okay News reports that the soldiers set up an ambush along the identified route and later confronted the suspects.
“Troops tactically laid an ambush along the identified route and made contact with the criminals,” the statement said.
The task force said three suspected bandits were spotted during the encounter, which led to a brief exchange of fire.
“During the encounter, three suspected armed bandits were sighted. Two were neutralised, while the third escaped with gunshot wound,” the statement added.
After the clash, the troops recovered one AK-47 rifle, a widely used assault rifle, which the military said was loaded with six rounds of 7.62 millimetre special ammunition at the scene.
Reacting to the outcome, the Force Commander of Joint Task Force Operation Whirl Stroke, Major General Moses Gara, said the result showed the value of acting on credible intelligence and the discipline of troops involved in the operation.
“The success reflects the effectiveness of intelligence-driven operations and the professionalism of the troops,” Gara said.
He also said the task force would keep up operations across its area of responsibility, as the military continues efforts to limit criminal activity and improve safety on major routes in the state capital corridor, including areas leading to Makurdi, the capital of Benue State.
The military added that troops have maintained aggressive patrols in the wider area to further restrict the movement of criminal elements and strengthen security along key roads.
Benue State, like parts of Nigeria’s north-central region, has faced repeated security pressures that disrupt travel and local economic activities, prompting the government and security agencies to sustain joint operations aimed at protecting communities and road users.
