🇳🇬 Double Blow to Armed Threats in Benue as OPWS Troops Recover Arms, Neutralise Bandit in Twin Raids

Operation Whirl Stroke intensifies rural security with coordinated clearance missions in Tse Adudu and Tatough communities.

Zig Diaries Defence
Date: Saturday, 2 August 2025
Time: 13:30 WAT
Location: 📍Benue State, Nigeria

Troops of Operation Whirl Stroke launched back-to-back clearance offensives in central Benue, pushing further into rural terrain to uproot bandit networks and secure farmlands.

Tse Adudu Operation: Arms Cache Recovered After Herders Flee Farmland

Troops of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), acting on credible intelligence, raided a farm settlement in Akpiti village, Gbanga/Tongo council ward on Saturday, recovering an AK-47 rifle, one magazine, and five rounds of 7.62mm ammunition carefully hidden in a makeshift hut.

The operation was detailed in a statement by Acting Media Information Officer, Lieutenant Ahmad Zubairu, Headquarters Joint Task Force Operation Whirl Stroke

The clearance patrol, conducted by troops deployed to Tse Adudu, was triggered by community reports of illegal grazing and crop destruction by suspected armed herdsmen. On sensing the advancing troops, the criminals abandoned their cattle and fled into surrounding bushes.

Force Commander OPWS, Major General Moses Gara, hailed the troops for their resilience and commended locals for their patriotism in providing actionable tips. “Only synergy between citizens and troops can deliver sustainable peace,” he said.

Tatough Operation: Bandit Neutralised, Camps Torched in Makurdi Push

In a separate operation, troops of the 401 Special Forces Brigade and Sector 1 OPWS, supported by local hunters, conducted a clearance patrol across the Tatough general area in Makurdi Local Government.

The troops, escorting mourners to Tse-Ayele village, swept several suspected bandit hideouts including Mdoor, Anter, Tse-Gegu, Tse-Akaajime, Tse-Agam, and Ndor.

At Tse-Akaajime, they encountered armed bandits in a brief gunfight. One bandit was killed, while others fled in disarray. The troops recovered two Tecno phones and three motorcycles at the scene, believed to be used for criminal coordination.

The operation was confirmed in a statement by Acting Assistant Director Army Public Relations, Captain Abdullahi Lawal Osabo, 401 Special Forces Brigade/Sector 1 OPWS.

All bandit camps discovered were destroyed and set ablaze, with troops sustaining aggressive foot patrols in the aftermath.

Acting Brigade Commander, Colonel KO Bukoye, praised the troops for their gallantry and urged them to maintain the tempo. “The momentum must not slow until peace returns fully to these communities,” he said.

🏷️ Tags: opws, benue, makurdi, tse adudu, banditry, rural security, nigeria army

#OPWS #BenueSecurity #WhirlStroke #NigeriaArmy #ZigDiariesDefence