MAKURDI, Nigeria – Nigerian troops have disrupted an alleged kidnappers’ roadblock in Benue State, killing one suspected bandit and arresting two suspected kidnappers in separate operations, the military said.
The operations were conducted by troops of the Joint Task Force, Operation Whirl Stroke, on August 19, 2026, following intelligence on criminal activities in parts of the state. Okay News reports that the military said the operations resulted in the recovery of a motorcycle and several items from the arrested suspects.
According to a statement signed by Lieutenant Ahmad Zubairu Zubairu, acting media information officer at the headquarters of Operation Whirl Stroke, troops responded to intelligence about a suspected bandit leader and his associates operating an illegal checkpoint along the Jortar–Atume axis.
The troops encountered the suspected criminals at the location, triggering a gun battle in which one suspected bandit, identified by the nickname “Cool Nigga”, was killed, according to the military.
Other members of the group reportedly fled, abandoning a motorcycle that was subsequently recovered by the troops.
In a separate operation in Logo Local Government Area, troops acting on information from a source arrested two suspected kidnappers at Gou Village.
The suspects were identified as 44-year-old Terhile Iyo and 32-year-old Vershima Emmanuel. The military said they allegedly confessed to attempting to abduct a resident of Gou Village identified as Mrs Balame Nyikwagh.
Items reportedly recovered from the suspects included a locally made pistol, one cartridge, five Tecno feature phones, a MoniePoint ATM card, an identity card, several SIM cards and charms.
The two suspects remain in military custody for further investigation, according to the statement.
Operation Whirl Stroke said it would continue operations against criminal groups in the area and urged residents to provide security agencies with timely and credible information.
