Troops of the Joint Task Force, Operation Whirl Stroke, have killed a suspected kidnapper and arrested two others during separate operations in Benue State.
The Acting Media Information Officer of OPWS, Lieutenant Ahmad Zubairu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday.
Zubairu said troops, acting on credible intelligence on August 19, intercepted suspected bandits allegedly operating an illegal checkpoint along the Jortar–Atume axis.
He said the encounter resulted in a gun battle in which one of the suspects, identified by the nickname “Cool Nigga,” was killed.
According to him, other members of the group fled the scene, abandoning a motorcycle which was recovered by the troops.
In a separate operation at Gou in Logo Local Government Area, soldiers arrested two suspected kidnappers identified as 44-year-old Terhile Iyo and 32-year-old Vershima Emmanuel.
The OPWS spokesman said the suspects allegedly confessed to attempting to kidnap a resident of Gou Village, Mrs Balame Nyikwagh.
Items recovered from the suspects included a locally made pistol, one cartridge, five Tecno torchlight phones, a MoniePoint ATM card, an identity card, several SIM cards and charms.
Zubairu said the suspects remained in military custody for further investigation.
He quoted the force as reaffirming its commitment to protecting lives and property across its operational areas in Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba states.
The OPWS also urged residents to provide security agencies with timely and credible information that could assist in preventing crime and apprehending criminal elements.
