Troops Kill Suspected Bandit, Recover Weapons In Benue

Troops of the Joint Task Force, Operation Whirl Stroke, have neutralised a suspected bandit during a patrol along the Gbise–Igyudu Road in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State.

The incident occurred on Wednesday when troops of Sector 1 encountered two suspected bandits travelling on a motorcycle along the Gbise–Igyudu axis.

According to the Acting Media Officer of the task force, Lt. Ahmad Zubairu, the troops engaged the suspects after positively identifying them, leading to an exchange of gunfire.

One of the suspects was killed during the encounter, while the second fled the scene after being overpowered by the troops.

The soldiers subsequently conducted a search and clearance operation around the area to ensure the fleeing suspect did not pose an immediate threat to nearby communities.

Items recovered from the operation included one pistol, one pistol magazine and one AK-47 magazine.

The troops also recovered eight rounds of 7.62mm Special ammunition, one 7.62mm NATO round, two 9mm rounds and one PKT round.

A Tecno mobile phone and assorted charms were also recovered from the area.

The task force urged residents to remain vigilant and continue providing timely and credible information on the activities and movements of suspected criminals.

Zubairu said such information remained essential to enabling troops and other security agencies to respond quickly to emerging threats.

He added that Operation Whirl Stroke would sustain patrols and intelligence-driven operations aimed at dismantling criminal networks and preventing them from threatening law-abiding communities.