Nigerian troops have arrested five suspected associates of a notorious bandit after raiding a suspected terrorist hideout in Peva, Takum Local Government Area of Taraba State.
According to a statement by the Acting Media Information Officer, Joint Task Force, Operation WHIRL STROKE, Lt Ahmad Zubairu Zubairu, the operation was conducted in the early hours of Thursday following credible intelligence received by troops at about 12:30 a.m. on the location of the suspected bandit’s hideout.
Zubairu said troops of Sector 1, in conjunction with troops of Sector 3, both under Joint Task Force, Operation WHIRL STROKE, acted on the intelligence and launched a raid on the identified location.
He said the suspected terrorists were, however, apparently alerted by informants about the advancing troops and fled before their arrival.
Undeterred, the troops conducted a thorough search of the area, leading to the arrest of five persons suspected to be associates of the fleeing bandit.
Items recovered during the operation included two AK-47 rifle magazines, 46 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, one woodland camouflage jacket and jungle hat, four charm vests and assorted charms.
Zubairu said the arrests and recovery of the items had provided security forces with useful leads that could assist ongoing efforts to identify and apprehend members of the fleeing criminal gang.
According to him, the operation was part of sustained intelligence-driven efforts by troops to disrupt the activities of terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements across the Joint Operations Area.
He said: “The arrest of the five suspects and recovery of weapons-related items and other paraphernalia have further provided the security forces with useful leads that could assist ongoing efforts to identify and apprehend fleeing members of the criminal gang.”
Zubairu reassured residents of Taraba State and other parts of the Joint Operations Area of the task force’s determination to sustain operations against terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements.
He urged members of the public to remain vigilant and provide timely and credible information to security agencies, stressing that cooperation remained critical to securing communities.
“Members of the public are equally encouraged to remain vigilant and continue to provide timely and credible information to security agencies, as collective vigilance and cooperation remain critical to defeating criminal elements and securing communities,” he said.
In a similar operation, troops neutralised one suspected bandit and recovered arms, ammunition and other items along the Gbise–Igyudu Road in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State.
Zubairu said the troops were conducting a routine fighting patrol on Wednesday when they encountered two suspected bandits on a motorcycle along the Gbise–Igyudu axis.
He said that after positively identifying the armed suspects, the troops immediately engaged them, resulting in a fierce exchange of fire.
During the encounter, one of the suspected bandits was neutralised, while the second fled the scene after being subdued by the troops’ superior firepower.
The troops subsequently conducted a thorough search and clearance operation around the area to ensure that the fleeing suspect did not pose an immediate threat to surrounding communities.
Items recovered during the operation included one pistol, one pistol magazine, one AK-47 magazine, eight rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, one 7.62mm NATO round, two 9mm rounds and one PKT round.
The troops also recovered a Tecno mobile phone and assorted charms from the scene.
