Troops arrest ‘wanted bandit’, recover arms in Taraba

The Nigerian army says troops of Operation Whirl Stroke have arrested a “wanted bandit” and recovered arms in Taraba state.

A statement on Friday by Olubodunde Oni, acting assistant director, army public relations of the brigade, said the operations took place across multiple LGAs, with troops recording “tremendous operational successes”.

“The gallant troops carried out a series of coordinated operations across various local government areas (LGAs) resulting in the arrest of a wanted bandit,” the statement reads.

“One of the feats is the apprehension of a notorious military imposter and the recovery of a significant cache of arms and ammunition.”

According to the statement, on April 16, troops responded to a distress call from a hunter and stormed a suspected bandits’ hideout in Dutsen Kachalla, Lau LGA, forcing the criminals to flee into hiding.

“The troops pursued and successfully recovered one AK-47 magazine, one AK-47 rifle butt, one military headgear and a national ID card belonging to one Adamu Umaru Jauro,” Oni said.

The brigade spokesperson said troops also arrested Yusuf Hammadu, popularly known as Dogo, on April 19 in Lau LGA, following credible intelligence.

“Hammadu, who has been on the watchlist of security agencies, confessed to being a member of a syndicate responsible for multiple kidnappings and ransom collections in Jalingo, Ardo-Kola, Lau and Yorro LGAs,” he added.

In another operation on April 22, troops apprehended Richard Ongu for allegedly impersonating an army major and defrauding residents in Gassol and Bali LGAs.

“The suspect falsely claimed to be posted to 20 Model Battalion, Gashaka. During preliminary investigation, Ongu said he was a discharged flight sergeant of the Nigerian Air Force, separated from service since November 22, 2019,” Oni said.

The army said Ongu “collected N1.6 million as deposit for 350 bags of beniseed, and fraudulently traded his Nissan jeep for a Toyota Corolla worth N5.2 million without paying the balance”.

“He also extorted money from locals by posing as a recruiter into the Nigerian army, claimed to command the Forward Operating Base in Bali, and even attempted to procure arms illegally for community leaders,” the statement added.

The spokesperson said Ongu will be handed over to the appropriate authorities for prosecution at the end of the investigation.

Oni added that on April 24, troops working with operatives from the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) raided Jatau-Nyimu village in Donga LGA, recovering 86 rounds of 5.6mm ammunition, a Tarvor magazine, four cartridges, three single-barrel guns, two camouflage uniforms and a radio.

Kingsley Uwa, commander of the brigade, praised the troops for their conduct and urged residents to continue sharing credible intelligence to support security operations in the state.