Troops of the Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) of the Nigerian Army on Saturday said they have arrested 10 suspected armed bandits and kidnappers in Benue and Nasarawa states.

Commander of the OPWS covering Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba states, Major General Adeyemi Yekini, who paraded the suspects before journalists at the Operation’s headquarters in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, said five suspects were arrested in Toto and Awe local government areas of Nasarawa State while the others were arrested in Benue.

Yekini stated that one of the suspects was shot dead during an exchange of fire with troops at Zaki-Biam in Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State while an AK-47 rifle was recovered from him.

He said three out of the four other suspects arrested in Zaki Biam were linked with the wanted militia gang leader, Terwase Akwaza alias ‘Gana’ while another suspect was nabbed in Tomatar area of the local government with a locally made rifle fabricated to fire 5.56mm ammunition which is a standard ammunition for assault rifles.

The OPWS Commander said one of the suspects that was arrested in Awe Local Government Area of Nasarawa State was handed over to the Nasarawa State Police CID because he was linked to another kidnapping in the state.

Items recovered from the suspects include two locally fabricated pistols, a Self Loading Riffle (SLR), five locally made rifles, one AK-47 riffle, some quantities of ammunition and three phones with a Toyota Corolla car popularly known as ‘duck nyash’ which is very popular with kidnappers in this part of the country. (Sunday Telegraph)

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