Troops engaged in Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) successfully stopped an attempted mass kidnapping along the Otukpo–Enugu expressway in Benue State late Monday night, rescuing 24 passengers bound from Jos, Plateau State, to Ibadan, Oyo State, military authorities have confirmed.
According to a statement issued by Lieutenant Ahmad Zubairu, acting information officer for OPWS and made available to journalists in Makurdi early Wednesday, the incident unfolded at around 10:00 pm on December 22, 2025, following a distress call to troops on routine patrol at the Amoda axis in Ohimini Local Government Area of Benue State.
“The armed criminals had emerged from the bush and briefly occupied an existing checkpoint,” Lieutenant Zubairu said in a detailed account of the operation. “The assailants subsequently stopped two 18-seater commercial buses travelling from Jos, Plateau State, to Ibadan, Oyo State, and attempted to abduct all passengers.”
Troops of Operation Whirl Stroke responded swiftly to the distress call, immediately moving to engage the kidnappers. Their timely intervention sparked a firefight that forced the kidnappers to abandon their captives and flee into the surrounding bush, according to the statement.
Lieutenant Zubairu explained that in the initial phase of the rescue, 15 passengers were immediately secured and handed over to the Nigerian Police Division, Otukpo. However, six adults and four minors were initially declared missing in the chaos that followed the engagement.
He added that subsequent operations led to the rescue of an additional five adults and all four minors, who are now in the custody of the Police Area Command in Otukpo. Search efforts are ongoing to locate the one remaining missing passenger.
Major General Moses Gara, Force Commander of Joint Task Force Operation Whirl Stroke, commended the troops for their professionalism and courage. He emphasized the military’s continued commitment to safeguarding lives and property within its area of responsibility, which covers Benue, Nasarawa, and Taraba states.
In his statement, General Gara also extended Yuletide greetings to Christian communities across the region, praying that the season brings “God’s abundant mercy, peace, and enduring joy to families and communities.” He urged citizens to remain united, reject violence, and uphold virtues of love, tolerance, and compassion, principles he described as foundations for lasting peace and prosperity.
Operation Whirl Stroke has recorded several successes in tackling banditry and kidnappings in recent months, including the arrest of three suspected criminals bearing arms around Ohimini Local Government Area in November.
Security analysts say such operations are part of broader efforts by the Nigerian military to curb violent crime along key transport corridors that have been vulnerable to ambushes and abductions by criminal elements in recent years.
