The Nigerian Army has destroyed several bandit camps and neutralised armed elements during coordinated operations conducted across Taraba State.
The disclosure was made in a statement released on Thursday by Lieutenant Umar Muhammad, Acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations for the 6 Brigade/Sector 3 Operation Whirl Stroke.
According to the Army, the offensives were carried out between December 2 and 4, 2025.
It added that troops also recovered weapons and arrested a key suspect linked to criminal activities in the region.
This comes as a major success in the ongoing efforts to address the rising insecurity in the country.
What the Army is saying
Sharing details of the exercise, the Army stated:
“Troops of Headquarters 6 Brigade, Nigerian Army/Sector 3 Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), have intensified their ongoing offensive across Taraba State, recording multiple operational successes that include the destruction of bandits’ camps, neutralisation of armed elements, recovery of weapons, and the arrest of a key suspect linked to criminal activities in the region,” the statement read in part.
It added that troops under Operation Zafin Wuta launched a clearance mission across Shiid, Agia and Tyozua villages in Takum LGA following intelligence on bandit activity in the Tor-Tser general area. As they advanced into the mountainous terrain, the armed groups fled deeper into the forest, abandoning their camps.
The troops searched the area and destroyed the hideouts, including locations the criminals had previously claimed were inaccessible to security forces. During the push into Tyozua, fleeing bandits set ablaze a wooden bridge in an attempt to obstruct troop movement.
- The statement noted that soldiers pressed forward regardless and forced the armed elements across the power line into neighbouring Benue State. One suspect, identified as Dahiru Maigari, was arrested during the follow-up phase and was already undergoing preliminary investigation.
- In a separate operation on December 4, troops conducting a fighting patrol around Karim Lamido came under fire from bandits concealed behind Wudompi Community. The soldiers repelled the attack, neutralised two armed men and recovered an AK-47 rifle along with 21 rounds of ammunition. The attackers were believed to be members of the Karimjo faction, which had recently attempted to regroup in the area. No troop casualties were recorded.
Providing more insights, the statement disclosed that Brigadier General Kingsley Chidiebere Uwa, Commander of 6 Brigade/Sector 3 OPWS, commended the troops for their professionalism and resilience.
He said the operations demonstrated the Army’s ability to penetrate difficult terrain and assured residents that the Brigade would sustain pressure on criminal groups across Taraba until peace was fully restored.
What you should know
In recent months, Nigeria has faced heightened insecurity across several states, including the kidnapping of students from schools, armed robberies, and attacks on communities in the North and Central regions. These incidents have amplified public concern and highlighted the persistent threat posed by criminal and extremist groups.
- In response, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared a national security emergency, directing intensified operations by the Armed Forces, Police, and the Department of State Services (DSS). The directive also included the redeployment of officers from VIP duties to field operations, the recruitment of additional personnel, and the deployment of trained forest guards to counter armed groups in volatile areas.
- The country’s security situation has also drawn international scrutiny. In November 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump designated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern,” a move that President Tinubu rejected, describing it as inconsistent with the country’s ongoing counterterrorism efforts.
Following this designation and subsequent rejection, the United States and the Nigerian government agreed to establish a Joint Working Group to coordinate a new phase of defence and security cooperation, following high-level engagements between both countries in Washington, D.C.
In a follow up operations, these identified hideouts of the insurgents, nationwide, should be periodically manned by military technology to acknowledge convergence of bandits with the intent to perpetrate their dastardly acts by rebuilding these annihilated facilities of theirs. Once it’s noted from the servers that activities are ongoing around these marked areas, we will watch them to see them well before striking . We must not allow them to settle down and rebuild. This is a technology war. God bless Nigeria.