Operation Whirl Stroke Arrests Suspected Kidnapper, Rescues Abducted Victim
Troops of the Joint Task Force, Operation WHIRL STROKE, OPWS, have intensified intelligence driven operations across the North Central region, arresting a suspected kidnapper in Nasarawa State and rescuing an abducted victim in Benue State.
The suspected kidnapper, identified as Adamu Lamu, was arrested on September 4, 2026, by troops of Sector 2, OPWS, at Agyaragu in Nasarawa State.
The arrest followed the escape of one of the victims of the kidnapping syndicate, 31 year old Mr Nehemiah Elisha, who reportedly sighted the suspect at a market in Agyaragu and immediately alerted troops deployed in the area.
The troops swiftly responded and apprehended Lamu, who has since been handed over to the Nigeria Police for further investigation and prosecution.
In a separate operation on September 6, troops of COAS Intervention Battalion XI rescued a kidnapped victim, Mr Vincent Nyado, along the Umene to Torkula Road in Benue State.
The victim was found tied and abandoned by the roadside after suspected terrorists reportedly fled into the surrounding bushes on sighting the approaching troops.
OPWS says efforts are ongoing to gather further information from the rescued victim and identify the fleeing suspects, as troops continue intelligence led operations across the Joint Operations Area.
The Joint Task Force has urged troops to sustain the momentum against criminal elements while strengthening cooperation with other security agencies and local communities.
It also appealed to members of the public to provide credible and timely information to security agencies, stressing that community support remains critical to defeating kidnapping and other violent crimes in the region.
