Chiemelie Ezeobi
In a show of coordinated military precision and joint tactical depth, troops of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) carried out a major offensive across Benue and Taraba States between 2 and 3 August 2025, rescuing 11 kidnapped victims and recovering a cache of arms and ammunition.
The operation, which targeted insurgent hideouts in Tse-Ahur and Chito general areas of Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State, was led by the Commander of Sector 1, Colonel K.O. Bukoye, with close air support from the Air Component.
Troops of Sector 3 were also deployed to Gindin Mangoro in Wukari LGA of Taraba State, forming a strategic blocking position to intercept fleeing criminals.
Military authorities described the high-impact mission as a deliberate manoeuvre and multi-sectoral coordination that “clearly demonstrated operational depth and tactical dexterity in joint environment.”
Upon making contact with the kidnappers’ stronghold, troops “engaged the adversary with superior firepower which resulted in the arrest of two (2) key suspects, while others escaped in disarray, abandoning their captives and arsenal.”
A subsequent search-and-rescue operation led to the recovery of eleven kidnapped victims — four females and seven males — who “were immediately given medical attention and profiled for onward reunification with their families.”
Troops also recovered a significant haul of weapons and logistics from the objective area. Items seized included “four (4) FN rifles, three (3) G3 rifles, four (4) AK-47 rifles, one (1) PKT Machine Gun, one (1) locally fabricated Dane Gun, fifteen (15) AK-47 magazines, three (3) FN rifle magazines, thirty-one (31) rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition, one hundred and eighty-four (184) rounds of 7.62mm x 54 ammunition, one (1) pistol magazine, five (5) smoke discharge canisters and several fetish charms.”
The operation “culminated in the total destruction of the bandits’ camp and logistics within the general area, thereby denying the criminals their freedom of action and logistics support.”
Force Commander of Operation Whirl Stroke, Major General Moses Gara, was on the ground to coordinate the assault. He “applauded the resilience, gallantry, and fighting spirit of the troops for maintaining offensive momentum and tactical initiative against the enemies of the state.”
He reiterated that OPWS “remains committed to aggressively pursuing criminals wherever they may be hiding, in line with the strategic directive of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Gwabin Musa and the overall vision of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.”
He also “extended profound appreciation to the CDS and the Service Chiefs for their unwavering strategic guidance, logistics support and collaborative synergy in sustaining the successes recorded by Operation Whirl Stroke.”
According to the Force Commander, “the current operational successes were made possible due to the continuous enabling environment, prompt deployment of critical enablers, and synergy amongst the various security, law enforcement and intelligence stakeholders.”
He assured that troops “would maintain operational pressure, dominate the battlespace, and restore peace and security to Benue, Taraba and Nasarawa States.”
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