Troops of Operation WHIRL STROKE have arrested a suspected gunrunner following an intelligence-led operation along the Bantaje–Wukari road in Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State.
The operation was conducted at about 10:34 a.m. on August 22, 2026, by troops of Sector 3, Operation WHIRL STROKE, deployed at Forward Operating Base Wukari, in conjunction with a Defence Intelligence Agency Composite Team.
Security sources said the operation followed credible information that a suspected gunrunner was operating from the area.
Acting on the intelligence, the troops mobilised to the location and apprehended the suspect.
The suspect remains in military custody and is undergoing further investigation to establish his identity, activities and possible links to criminal elements operating within Taraba and neighbouring states.
The arrest is expected to provide security agencies with an opportunity to uncover possible arms supply routes and networks supporting kidnapping, banditry and other violent crimes in the area.
Troops and other security agencies are expected to sustain intelligence-led operations aimed at disrupting the movement of illegal firearms and dismantling criminal support networks across the operational area.
By Zagazola Makama
