Troops kill 2 terrorists, recover 82 SIM cards, arms cache in Benue intelligence raid

Troops of Joint Task Force Operation Whirl Stroke have neutralised two suspected terrorists and recovered a significant haul of weapons, telecommunications materials, and financial cards during an intelligence-led operation in Benue State, as the military continues to mount sustained pressure on criminal networks across Nigeria’s North-Central region.

The operation was carried out on March 9, 2026, during a confidence-building patrol aimed at reassuring residents and denying criminal elements freedom of movement within the area.

 Troops acted on credible intelligence about the activities of suspected terrorists operating within Tse-Anka community in Yooyo Council Ward of Katsina-Ala Local Government Area, mobilising swiftly alongside operatives of the Benue State Civil Protection Guard.

Upon arrival, the joint security team engaged the suspected terrorists in a brief but intense firefight. Two of the terrorists were neutralised during the encounter, while several others fled into surrounding bush with possible gunshot wounds.

The items recovered at the scene pointed to a sophisticated criminal network. Troops recovered an AK-47 rifle, magazines, assorted ammunition, a motorcycle, 82 SIM cards, and multiple Automated Teller Machine cards belonging to different financial institutions. The recovered items are currently being examined as part of ongoing efforts to dismantle the wider criminal network operating in the area.

The large number of SIM cards recovered raised particular concern among security analysts, suggesting the criminal cell may have been using multiple unregistered phone lines to coordinate activities and evade detection by intelligence services.

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The Force Commander of Operation Whirl Stroke, Major General Moses Gara, commended the troops and collaborating security operatives for their swift response and professionalism, describing the outcome as a reflection of consistent operational pressure being mounted against criminal elements across the Joint Operations Area. “Sustained fighting patrols and intelligence-driven engagements have continued to yield positive results in the ongoing fight against terrorism and banditry,” he said.

The Benue operation was not the only success recorded in the period. Separately, troops in Yobe State killed more than 20 terrorists, including a commander identified as Abu Yusu, the Munzir of Dursula, in another significant blow to insurgent networks operating in the North-East.

In related operations in Benue between March 3 and 7, troops arrested three suspected cattle rustlers and recovered stolen livestock during a patrol around Obagaji in Agatu Local Government Area, and separately rescued two kidnapped bank staff members — Unity Bank employees Marwan Abubakar and Leng’en Cakop — who had been abducted in Zaki-Biam and held in Gborgbor Village, Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State.

Major General Gara reassured residents of Benue, Taraba, and neighbouring states of the task force’s unwavering commitment to protecting lives and property, urging members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies to help dismantle criminal networks in the region.