Troops foil kidnappers’ roadblock in Benue, kill suspect, arrest two

Troops of the Joint Task Force, Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), have disrupted a suspected kidnappers’ roadblock in Benue State, neutralising one suspect and arresting two others in separate operations.

The Acting Media Information Officer of the JTF headquarters, Lt. Ahmad Zubairu Zubairu, disclosed this in a statement issued to journalists.

According to the statement, troops acting on credible intelligence on August 19, 2026, mobilised to the Jortar-Atume axis, where a suspected bandit kingpin and his associates were reportedly operating an illegal checkpoint.

The troops encountered the suspected criminals on arrival, leading to a gun battle during which one of the suspects, identified by the nickname “Cool Nigga,” was neutralised.

The statement said other members of the group fled the scene, abandoning a motorcycle that was subsequently recovered by the troops.

In a separate operation the same day, troops deployed in Logo Local Government Area arrested two suspected kidnappers at Gou Village following credible intelligence.

The suspects were identified as 44-year-old Terhile Iyo and 32-year-old Vershima Emmanuel.

The military said the suspects reportedly confessed to attempting to kidnap Mrs Balame Nyikwagh, a resident of Gou Village.

Items recovered from them included one locally made pistol, one cartridge, five Tecno torchlight phones, a MoniePoint ATM card, an identity card, multiple SIM cards and charms.

The suspects are currently in military custody for further investigation and exploitation.

The JTF assured residents of its continued commitment to protecting lives and property, while appealing to members of the public to provide timely and credible information to security agencies to support ongoing operations against criminal elements in the state.