In an intensified and expertly coordinated operation to dismantle bandit enclaves, the Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), under Col. K.O. Bukoye (Sector 1) with air support and a containment ring by Sector 3 in Taraba’s Gindin Mangoro, carried out simultaneous assaults on 2–3 August 2025 in Tse‑Ahur and Chito, Ukum LGA of Benue State, Nigeria.
According to Lieutenant Ahmad Zubairu Zubairu, Acting Media Information Officer, Joint Task Force HQ OPWS, the high‑impact military action combined swift aerial cover, tactical block formations, and aggressive ground engagement to prevent escape and collapse criminal resistance.
Officials noted that the operation “clearly demonstrated operational depth and tactical dexterity in joint environment.”
Engagement and Rescue Outcome
Once contact was established with the kidnappers’ hideout, OPWS 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.” Subsequently, a decisive search-and-rescue phase led to the successful liberation of 11 hostages—four females and seven males—all of whom “were immediately given medical attention and profiled for onward reunification with their families.”
Massive Arms Recovery and Camp Neutralisation
Further sweeps within the abandoned precinct yielded an extensive arms haul, including 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 7.62 mm NATO ammunition, one hundred and eighty‑four (184) rounds of 7.62 mm × 54 ammunition, one (1) pistol magazine, five (5) smoke discharge canisters and several fetish charms.
The raid ultimately “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 Commends Troop Performance
On-site to oversee the mission, OPWS Force Commander Major General Moses Gara lauded the operation’s outcome, stating 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 vowed 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.”
Additionally, he “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 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 reaffirmed the mission’s ongoing posture by assuring that troops “would maintain operational pressure, dominate the battlespace, and restore peace and security to Benue, Taraba and Nasarawa States.”
Strategic Significance
- The operation underscores a renewed commitment by OPWS to eliminate criminal strongholds within Nigeria’s Middle Belt, particularly targeting kidnapping and armed robbery syndicates.
- It highlights improved interoperability among army units, air support, intelligence agencies, and local command sectors.
- The successful neutralisation of this camp and the hostage rescue advance OPWS’s broader mandate to ensure stability across Benue, Taraba, and Nasarawa States.
All quoted material remains verbatim from the original military report, as released via official statements.
