Troops of Operation Whirl Stroke said it disrupted kidnappers’ road block and killed one suspected kidnapper while two others were arrested in separate operations across Benue State.

This was disclosed by Ahmad Zubairu, the spokesman for the operation, in a statement on Friday.

“Acting on credible intelligence on 19 August 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,” he said.

He stated that 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 killed.

Mr Zubairu noted that 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, the spokesman said the 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 Terhile Iyo 44-year-old and Vershima Emmanuel 32-year-old, 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,” he added.