Soldiers kill kidnapper, arrest two in Benue

Photo of items recovered from suspected kidnappers in Benue by troops of OPWS. Photo: OPWS

Troops of the Joint Task Force, Operation Whirl Stroke, have killed a suspected kidnapper and arrested two suspects in separate operations across Benue State.

The Acting Media Information Officer for OPWS, Lieutenant Ahmad Zubairu, stated this in a statement issued and made available to journalists on Sunday.

According to the OPWS spokesperson, troops acting on credible intelligence on August 19, 2026, intercepted a suspected bandit kingpin and his associates operating an illegal checkpoint along the Jortar–Atume axis.

The statement read in part, “On arrival, the troops made contact with the criminals, resulting in a firefight during which one suspected bandit, identified by the nickname ‘Cool Nigga’, was neutralised.

“The other members of the group fled in disarray, abandoning a motorcycle, which was recovered by the troops.”

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The OPWS spokesperson added that two suspected kidnappers were also arrested in a separate operation at Gou in Logo Local Government Area of the state.

He said the two suspects, identified as Terhile Iyo, 44, and Vershima Emmanuel, 32, had confessed to an attempt to kidnap one Mrs Balame Nyikwagh of Gou Village.

Zubairu listed the items recovered from the suspects as one locally made pistol, one cartridge, five Tecno torchlight phones, a MoniePoint ATM card, an identity card, multiple SIM cards and charms, adding that the suspects remained in military custody for further exploitation.

While reassuring citizens in its areas of operation in Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba states of its commitment to protecting lives and property, the force urged residents to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies.