Troops kill 4 criminals, rescue kidnap victims

Troops of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) have neutralised four suspected criminals and rescued two kidnapped victims during a series of operations conducted across Benue and Taraba states. Force Commander of OPWS, Major General Moses Gara, disclosed this in a statement by the Acting Media Information Officer, Lieutenant Ahmad Zubairu, on Tuesday. He said the troops also recovered an AK-47 rifle during the separate operations conducted between May 24 and 31, 2026, that led to the killing of the four criminal suspects. Gara explained that the troops responded to reports of gunmen attack along the Gbajimba–Agasha Road in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State on May 24 and found two injured residents at the scene. He said that the victims were evacuated to the Primary Health Centre in Gbajimba for medical treatment, while troops launched a manhunt for the attackers. He noted that on the same day in Taraba State, troops responded to an armed robbery incident along the Rafin Kada–Donga Road and engaged the suspects in a gun battle that resulted in the neutralisation of two armed robbers, while troops recovered one AK-47 rifle, three magazines, ammunition and N39,950 cash.