Benue: OPWS Troops Foil Kidnapping Plot, Neutralise Suspect

From Dooshima Terkura, Makurdi

Troops of the Joint Task Force, Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), have disrupted a kidnappers’ roadblock, neutralised one suspect and apprehended two others in separate operations across Benue State.

This was contained in a statement signed by the Acting Media Information Officer, OPWS, Lieutenant Ahmad Zubairu, and made available to newsmen in Makurdi on Sunday.
The statement said that, acting on credible intelligence on August 19, 2026, regarding the activities of a suspected bandit kingpin and his associates operating an illegal checkpoint along the Jortar–Atume axis, OPWS troops swiftly mobilised to the area.
According to the statement, “On arrival, the troops made contact with the criminals, resulting in a firefight during which one suspected bandit, identified by the nickname ‘Cool Nigga’, was neutralised.
“The other members of the group fled in disarray, abandoning a motorcycle, which was recovered by the troops.”
In a separate operation on the same day, OPWS troops deployed in Logo Local Government Area, acting on information from a credible source, apprehended two suspected kidnappers at Gou Village.
The suspects, identified as 44-year-old Terhile Iyo and 32-year-old Vershima Emmanuel, reportedly confessed to an attempt to kidnap Mrs Balame Nyikwagh of Gou Village.
Items recovered from the suspects include one locally made pistol, one cartridge, five Tecno torchlight phones, a MoniePoint ATM card, an identity card, multiple SIM cards and charms.
The suspects remain in military custody for further exploitation.
The Force reassured law-abiding citizens of its commitment to protecting lives and property, while urging residents to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies.