Troops of the Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), have continued their aggressive operations to dismantle criminal elements within their area of responsibility in Benue State. The latest effort was aimed at ensuring a peaceful and successful farming season.
In a statement issued on Monday, Captain Abdullahi Lawal Osabo, Acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations, 401 SF Brigade/Sector 1 OPWS, said troops recovered weapons belonging to notorious bandits operating in the Sankera axis of the state.
He disclosed that in a recent raid carried out on Sunday, May 18, 2025, soldiers of the 72 Special Forces Battalion, in collaboration with other security agencies, stormed and destroyed camps linked to a wanted bandit leader in Konyo Gbise, near Akwaza in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area.
“The decisive operation led to the recovery of assorted weapons including one submachine gun (SMG) with magazine, a locally fabricated rifle with magazine, and 7.62mm special ammunition. Other items seized include a rifle butt, rifle barrel, 9mm ammunition, three POS machines, two generating sets, a mobile phone, electrical cables, a painting machine, seven solar panels, a half bag of suspected cannabis sativa, and several portraits of bandit leaders,” the statement said.
The Commander of JTF OPWS, Major General Moses Gara, commended the troops and urged them to maintain pressure on all criminal elements threatening peace and security in the state.
The statement further called on residents of Benue to support ongoing military efforts by providing credible information about criminal activities in their communities.
