From Henry Ibya, Makurdi
Joint Task Force, Operation Whirl Stroke, OPWS, said it neutralized an armed bandit and arrested several criminal suspects in Benue and Nasarawa States, following an intensified intelligence- driven operation.
Force Commander, Joint Tasks Force Operation Whirl Stroke, Major-General Moses Gara, in a statement, announced that on February 3, troops of Sector 1, OPWS, acting on credible intelligence, mobilized to Ayamba Village in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State, where they engaged armed herders, neutralizing one bandit and recovering an AK-47 rifle, three rounds of 7.62mm×39 special ammunition and two magazines.
Gara’s statement released yesterday, signed by the Acting Media Information Officer HQ JTF Operation Whirl Stroke, Lieutenant Ahmed Zubairu, said troops of Sector 2 OPWS on February 4, acting on intelligence received from a local hunter about suspected armed robbery operation, deployed its men on patrol at Agyaragu in Nasarawa State in collaboration with the hunter.
He said during the operation, one suspected armed robber, Adam Paul, 34, was arrested, while an AK-47 rifle recovered with preliminary investigations revealing that the suspect obtained the weapon from one Tela Obu,a resident of Duduguru community in Obi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
The Force Commander also informed that two other suspects fled the scene and are currently at large.
He disclosed that troops of the COAS Intervention Battalion IX in another operation arrested three suspects involved in cattle rustling in Agagbe community, Benue State, and recovered mutilated and butchered meat believed to have been obtained from rustled cattles.
Gara also disclosed that the arrested suspects have been taken into custody for investigation and possible prosecution in line with extant laws.
He commended the troops for their resilience and vigilance, saying the successes are in line with the military high command’s directive to scale up aggressive fighting patrols and intelligence-driven operations.
The Force Commander charged the troops to sustain the momentum and maintain a strong fighting spirit to deter and neutralise criminal activities within the joint operations area, expressing appreciation to local communities and members of other security agencies for their continued support and cooperation, that have contributed significantly to the successes recorded by the task force.
