Troops of the Armed Forces of Nigeria have neutralised several terrorists, arrested 19 suspects and recovered arms and ammunition during ongoing operations under Joint Task Force North Central Operations Enduring Peace and Whirl Stroke.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, disclosed this in a statement on Friday, noting that troops operating in the North Central theatre intensified targeted raids and security operations against criminal elements.
According to him, troops under Operation Enduring Peace neutralised several terrorists, arrested three criminals and recovered arms during multiple operations across the region.
Onoja said that on February 28, 2026, troops conducting stop-and-search operations at Kurmin Goro in Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna State intercepted a suspected gunrunner.
“A thorough search led to the recovery of five fabricated rifles in the suspect’s possession,” he said.
In a separate operation on the same day, troops raided the residence of a wanted criminal at Tenti Village in Butura District of Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State.
During the raid, troops arrested a suspected arms and ammunition racketeer and recovered additional arms and ammunition.
The defence spokesperson said both suspects and recovered items remain in military custody pending the completion of investigations and subsequent handover to relevant authorities for prosecution.
Meanwhile, under Operation Whirl Stroke, troops neutralised terrorists, arrested 16 suspects, rescued two kidnapped hostages and recovered various weapons during operations across the North Central region.
Onoja disclosed that a major breakthrough was recorded when troops arrested 12 suspected terrorists at Atachi in Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi State.
He said preliminary interrogation revealed that the suspects claimed affiliation with Miyetti Allah but failed to provide any verifiable means of identification.
Further exploitation of their mobile phones, according to him, revealed contact details saved in formats consistent with known terrorist communication patterns.
“The phones contained several numbers stored under coded and suspicious aliases, strongly suggesting links to criminal elements,” he said.
Items recovered from the suspects include one AK-47 rifle, an AK-47 magazine, rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, mobile phones and the sum of ₦645,000.
All the suspects and recovered exhibits are currently in custody for further investigation, the military said.
