The Joint Task Force Operation WHIRL STROKE has said its troops neutralised four suspected criminals, rescued two kidnapped victims, recovered an AK-47 rifle, ammunition and dismantled a suspected drug trafficking network during operations conducted across Benue and Taraba states between May 24 and 31, 2026.
The Acting Media Information Officer of the force, Lt. Ahmad Zubairu Zubairu, disclosed this in a statement issued today.
According to the statement, the operations targeted armed robbers, kidnappers, bandits and suspected drug traffickers operating within the joint operations area.
On May 24, troops responded to an armed robbery alert along the Rafin Kada–Donga Road in Taraba State, where they engaged suspected robbers in a gun battle.
“Troops neutralised two armed robbers and recovered one AK-47 rifle with three magazines, ammunition and the sum of N39,950,” the statement added.
The statement noted that troops deployed to the Gbajimba–Agasha Road in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State on May 24 following reports of an armed herder attack and found two injured residents at the scene. “The victims were evacuated to the Primary Health Centre in Gbajimba for treatment, while a manhunt for the assailants is ongoing,” the statement said.
