Soldiers kill suspected bandit, recover weapons in Benue

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

According to a statement issued by the Acting Media Officer of JTF Operation Whirl Stroke, Lieutenant Ahmad Zubairu, and made available to journalists on Thursday, troops of Sector 1 were conducting a routine fighting patrol on Wednesday when they encountered two suspected bandits on a motorcycle along the Gbise–Igyudu axis.

“After a positive identification of the armed suspects, troops immediately engaged the suspects, resulting in a fierce exchange of fire.

“During the encounter, one of the suspected bandits was neutralised, while the second suspect fled the scene when subdued by 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 the surrounding communities,” he said.

The acting media officer said 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.

Other items recovered were a Tecno mobile phone and assorted charms.

The force urged members of the public to remain vigilant and continue to cooperate with troops and other security and law enforcement agencies by providing timely and credible information on the activities and movements of suspected criminals.

Zubairu assured that such information remained critical to ensuring a swift and decisive response to emerging threats.

The acting media officer said the force would continue to dominate its operational areas through sustained patrols and other intelligence-driven operations aimed at dismantling criminal networks and denying them the opportunity to threaten the peace and security of law-abiding citizens.