Troops of Sector 1, Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), have raided a notorious bandits’ hideout in the Aterayange general area of Ukum Local Government Area, Benue State, killed one suspect, and recovered a cache of arms and ammunition.
In an X post by security analyst and counter-insurgency expert, Zagazola Makama, the operation was conducted between Monday night and the early hours of Tuesday, following credible intelligence on the activities of a gang led by a wanted bandit kingpin known as Full Fire.
Security sources said troops of Sub-Sector 1A, led by Maj. M. Babalola, stormed the area around 3:45 a.m. and engaged the armed group in a firefight.
“During the encounter, one of the bandits was neutralised, while others, including the leader, fled the scene,” a military source confirmed.
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Recovered items from the operation include two AK-47 rifles, one G3 rifle, five AK-47 magazines, one G3 magazine, a hand grenade, two Baofeng radios, 162 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, and one motorcycle.
The post added that troops were still exploiting the area to track down fleeing members of the gang, while morale among personnel remained high.
Operation Whirl Stroke is a joint military task force established to combat banditry, kidnapping, and other violent crimes across Benue, Nasarawa, and Taraba States.
