RismadarVoice Reporters
October 29, 2026
Troops of the Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Whirl Stroke, have reported the arrest of four suspects in separate security operations targeting alleged banditry logistics networks and armed robbery in Benue State.
The operations were conducted on Wednesday, October 28, in Katsina-Ala and Ukum Local Government Areas of the state.
The Acting Media Information Officer of Operation Whirl Stroke, Lieutenant Ahmad Zubairu Zubairu, disclosed the arrests in a statement issued by the task force headquarters.
According to the statement, troops of Sector 1 acted on intelligence concerning the activities of suspected logistics suppliers operating in Abaji community, Katsina-Ala Local Government Area.
The suspects were alleged to have provided logistical assistance to a bandit leader operating across River Yooyo in the area.
The military identified one of the suspects as Tertser Terngu, 24, from Tersoo village, while the second suspect is a 15-year-old minor whose identity has been withheld.
The task force said both suspects were taken into custody for further investigation and subsequent processing by the appropriate authorities.
In a separate operation on the same day, troops conducting a fighting patrol received information about an armed robbery incident at Jootar village along the Kyado–Wukari Road in Ukum Local Government Area.
The distress report was received at approximately 2:16 p.m., prompting troops to mobilise to the location.
However, upon arrival, the soldiers discovered that operatives of the Volunteer Guards had already apprehended two individuals suspected of involvement in the robbery.
The task force said the security personnel recovered one locally manufactured pistol, seven rounds of 7.62mm PKT ammunition and a pair of scissors during the operation.
The identities of the two armed robbery suspects were not disclosed.
The Force Commander of Operation Whirl Stroke and General Officer Commanding, 5 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Moses Gara, commended the troops for their response to the security threats.
He urged personnel to maintain vigilance, sustain intelligence-driven operations and strengthen efforts to disrupt criminal activities across the joint operations area.
Gara also emphasised the importance of timely intelligence in identifying threats and supporting effective security responses.
The task force maintained that investigations into the suspected criminal activities were ongoing.
The allegations against the arrested individuals have not been determined by a court, and the suspects remain entitled to the presumption of innocence.
