Troops of the Joint Task Force, Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), have thwarted a cattle rustling attempt and neutralised two suspected terrorists in Abuja Community, Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State, tightening the noose on criminal elements prowling the area.
The Acting Media Information Officer of OPWS Headquarters, Lt. Ahmad Zubairu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday in Makurdi, detailing a series of operations that dealt a heavy blow to rustlers and armed criminals.
Zubairu revealed that soldiers from the Chief of Army Staff Special Intervention Battalion IX, operating under OPWS, swooped on three suspected cattle rustlers on March 3 and recovered stolen livestock during a patrol around Obagaji in Agatu LGA.
According to him, the operation followed credible intelligence pointing to suspicious cattle rustling activities around the Omikwidi general area. Acting swiftly on the tip-off, the troops advanced towards the Ologba–Egba road and laid an ambush for the suspects.
“During the operation, troops successfully intercepted a Sienna bus conveying three fully grown cows suspected to have been rustled.
“Three suspects were immediately arrested. The suspects were identified as Mamuda Hussein, 28, a native of Adagbo community; Sunday Moses, 35, from Obagaji village; and Teny Musa, 22, also from Obagaji,” he said.
He added that preliminary investigations uncovered that the cattle were being transported in a vehicle fitted with a fake Kogi State Government number plate bearing the inscription Kogi 2LMA 35 LG.
Zubairu further disclosed that the alleged gang leader, Mamuda Hussein, confessed during interrogation that he had been invited to purchase the stolen cattle by two individuals identified as Dahiru and Small.
The suspects, he said, are currently in custody while investigations continue and further legal steps are being taken.
In a related operation on March 4, troops of the COAS Intervention Battalion XV mounted an ambush at Abuja Village in Agatu LGA after receiving intelligence on the movement of suspected terrorists in the area.
Zubairu explained that the troops soon encountered the armed group, leading to an exchange that left one criminal neutralised while the others fled into the surrounding terrain.
He noted that a subsequent sweep of the area led to the recovery of one round of 7.62mm special ammunition from the bag of the slain suspect.
The security pressure did not ease. On March 5, soldiers stationed in the same Abuja Village came under attack from suspected terrorists. The troops, however, stood their ground and pushed back the assault.
Zubairu said the attackers were forced to retreat after a fierce response from the soldiers, while one terrorist was neutralised during the confrontation.
In yet another breakthrough on March 7, OPWS troops at the Maritime Component in Gbajimba, Guma Local Government Area, acting on intelligence, intercepted suspected rustlers attempting to escape with stolen cows by boat.
“Troops immediately mobilised to the location and intercepted the suspects attempting to flee by boat. Warning shots were fired, leading to the arrest of one suspect with two stolen cows inside the boat.
“The boat and the recovered livestock are currently in the custody for investigation and further processing,” he stated.
Zubairu added that the Force Commander of OPWS, Maj.-Gen. Moses Gara, reassured residents of Benue and neighbouring states that the joint task force remains steadfast in its mission to safeguard lives and property.
“Gara also urged members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies to enhance ongoing operations against criminal elements within the Joint Operations Area,” he stated.
