Troops of the “Operation Whirl Stroke” said they have so far killed 145 bandits, arrested 223 others while also recovered a total of 194 weapons in Nasarawa, Benue and Taraba States.
Commander of the forces, Major General Adeyemi Yekini, gave the disclosure while on a courtesy call on Nasarawa State Governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule at the Lafia Government House on Wednesday.
Adeyemi said the exercise was yielding results in the affected states, adding that within a year, they recovered a total of 3,683 weapons and one hand grenade.
He added that their exercise has reduced crimes and criminality to its barest minimum, insisting that they would continue to monitor the three states to ensure safety of lives and properties.
According to him, “The root cause of most of the crises in Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba States is due to agitations over control of farming and grazing spaces along the River Benue trough.”
He explained that herdsmen use the area for grazing because of its lush vegetation, whereas the Tiv people also use the area for farming while the Jukun people also use the area for fishing.
“The interplay of economic activities among these three different tribes along the River Benue valley is the cause of the crises we are facing across these three states,” Major General Yekini said.
While noting that Operation Whirl Stroke has its bases located along both banks of the River Benue, its special forces are deployed to Giza, in Keana Local Government Area, Tunga in Awe Local Government Area, Ugya in Toto Local Government Area, Rukubi in Doma Local Government Area, as well as Loko all in Nasarawa State.
He added: “Already, economic activities have picked up in areas where previously armed bandits used to even carry weapons and roam freely.”
Major General Yekini further disclosed that their operation was not limited to military action but that they are also engaged in military/civilian activities in the belief that some of the lingering crises being faced across the three states cannot be solved by the military alone.
Responding, the governor commended the Special Forces for the ability to trace the root cause of the lingering crisis, stressing that it is the only way to solve the problem.
He noted that by taking care of everybody’s interest and giving everyone that sense of belonging, issues will definitely be resolved.
The governor stressed that he would take into cognizance security measures which were put in place by his predecessor, while he was optimistic at ending crisis between Bassa and Ebira in the state.
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