Troops Rescue Kidnapped Lawyer, Corps Member, and Six Other Victims in Benue Community

Operation Whirl Stroke, a Joint Military Operation (JMO), successfully rescued eight individuals from kidnappers along the Taraba-Benue border between Wukari and Zaki-Biam in the Ukum local government area of Benue State.

The troops showcased the rescued victims at their military base camp in Zaki-Biam for selected media outlets over the weekend.

Among those rescued were an NYSC member and a lawyer who had been held captive for over a month while their families negotiated a ransom.

One victim, Rabiu Muhammad, was abducted after he came to pay the ransom for his cousin, Ibrahim Umar.

A military officer from the 401 Special Forces Brigade/Sector One of Operation Whirl Stroke, who requested anonymity due to press restrictions, revealed the identities of the rescued individuals: Samuel Muekera (29), Anaelechi Bob (32), Ayuba Luka (28), Ibrahim Umar (30), Rabiu Muhammad (48), Buhari Ahmadu Saleh (17), and Blessing Ayuba (47).

The officer noted that the seven victims were kidnapped at different times while traveling on the Zaki-Biam-Wukari road in various vehicles.

Military sources reported that the bandits terrorizing residents in Ukum, Katsina, and the Sankera Local Government Areas are remnants of the late criminal gang leader Terwase Agwaza, also known as Gana.

Some of the victims reported that they were kidnapped while traveling along the Zaki-Biam-Wukari road and spent more than a month in captivity before the military intervened.

They described how bandits operating in areas like Chito, Tse Anaka, and Pevikya have turned kidnapping into a source of income, resulting in a rise in criminal activity in these regions.

Blessing Ayuba, who went to pay the ransom for her abducted brother, Tanko Ayuba, also became a victim herself.

Troops from Operation Whirl Stroke, a joint military operation, are currently deployed in Benue, Taraba, and Nasarawa states to tackle security challenges.

Reports indicate that over 20 million naira was paid in ransom by the families of those rescued.