Troops of 6 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Sector 3 Operation Whirl Stroke in Taraba State have arrested 12 suspected bandits that terrorise communities in Benue and Taraba states.
The Army said the bandits belong to the notorious kingpin Veior John Gata group in Chachanji community, Takum LGA.
The syndicate alongside their leader, Gata, who has been on a wanted list, were responsible for many kidnapping incidents in communities between Taraba and Benue states.
Captain Olubodunde Oni, Acting Assistant Director, 6 Brigade Army Public Relations who confirmed this in a statement said they were arrested following an earlier attack by the syndicate in the community in their continued attempt to close down the Chachanji local market.
He said prior to the arrest, the bandits who rode on motorcycles attacked the community and abducted two persons before they were repelled by the troops. They abandoned their captives, two bags of Indian hemp and a locally fabricated pistol.
“Following a distress call from the residents of Chachanji village regarding the abduction of two individuals by a group of about 10 armed men on motorcycles on 7 November 2024, acting immediately, troops launched a rapid response operation aimed at rescuing the victims and intercepting the kidnappers”, he said.
According to him, the troops acting on intelligence reports trailed the kidnappers to a local drinking joint in Mbhakyri village close to Agu Center, arresting 12 suspects and recovered 14 motorcycles.
“During an intensive investigation, the arrested suspects admitted to being part of the kidnapping operation and identified their leader as Veior John Gata, a notorious terrorist who has been on the wanted list of security agencies for orchestrating criminal activities in parts of southern Taraba and Benue states”, added Oni.
The spokesman added that the suspects further confessed that Veior who was with them prior to killing of two locals and abducting of two others, was displeased with locals in the area hence his decision to ensure closure of their market by instilling fear in them.
“They added that Veior was displeased with the locals in Chachanji. Hence, he wanted to ensure the market was closed down by putting fear and terror in the minds of both buyers and sellers”, he said.
Yawale Adamu is an investigative reporter driven by a passion for accountability and purposeful leadership.
He specializes in crafting compelling stories in both English and Hausa, with a focus on amplifying the voices of marginalized and underreported communities, offering hope and advocating for justice through his reportage.
Experience
With over a decade of experience, Yawale has produced numerous investigative stories that uncovered corruption, abuse of power, and mismanagement of public funds. From 2012 to 2022, he also served as a newscaster and translator at BRC FM Misau.
Awards
Yawale was honored as the Best Reporter of the Year at BRC FM Misau for the 2012–2013 period, reflecting his dedication and impact in the field of journalism.
