Troops of Operation Whirl Stroke have stopped armed militia members from disrupting the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary elections in Benue State. During the operation, one suspect was arrested, and weapons, ammunition, and a getaway vehicle were recovered.
The incident happened on May 16, 2026, in Aliade, Gwer East Local Government Area, where soldiers responded quickly after the armed group was detected.
In a statement issued on Friday by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Michael Onoja, the military confirmed that troops engaged the militia group, which was allegedly trying to violently interfere with the APC primaries.
The operation led to the arrest of a suspect, while security forces recovered a Toyota Sienna used for escape, an AK-47 rifle, magazines, and live rounds.
“In Benue State, on May 16, 2026, troops in Aliade, Gwer East LGA of Benue State, swiftly countered an armed militia group attempting to violently disrupt the ongoing All Progressives Congress primary elections. Troops engaged the militia, arrested one suspect, and recovered a getaway Sienna vehicle, an AK-47 rifle, magazines, and live ammunition, “the statement partly read.
Maj. Gen. Onoja also said troops under Operation Savannah Shield went after hidden networks that support terrorist groups with communication, weapons, and medical supplies in Kwara State.
According to him, on May 14, soldiers at Forward Operating Base Kaiama arrested a suspected terrorist operative connected to an earlier attack on police officers in Tenebu village. The arrest followed intercepted communications in which the suspect allegedly admitted involvement.
“Troops of Operation SAVANNAH SHIELD targeted the underground networks facilitating communication, armaments, and medical/ drug logistics for active terrorist cells. On 14 May 2026, troops at FOB Kaiama arrested a terrorist operative who masterminded an earlier attack on police personnel at Tenebu village, following a communication intercept where the suspect explicitly described his role in the assault, ” Onoja said.
He further stated that troops in Bokungi, Edu Local Government Area, arrested a suspected gang leader who was traveling toward Ilorin from Ndeji, with digital evidence on his phone allegedly showing him with automatic weapons and large sums of extorted money.
“Simultaneously, troops operating at Bokungi in Edu LGA arrested a high-ranking gang leader traveling toward Ilorin from Ndeji, whose mobile devices contained graphic digital evidence of the suspect brandishing automatic rifles and exhibiting large quantities of extorted cash, ” Onoja said.
In another operation on May 16, troops carrying out a cordon-and-search mission in Tunga Maje, Kaiama Local Government Area, detained a suspected insurgent informant whose phone contacts were reportedly linked to a known terrorist leader, Abba Salma.
