TROOPS ARREST FIVE SUSPECTED BANDIT INFORMANTS IN NIGER STATE
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By: Muftau Fatimo
Troops of the Joint Task Force, Operation Savannah Shield, have arrested five suspected bandit and terrorist informants during separate operations in Niger State, recovering communication devices, cash, and other items allegedly connected to criminal activities.
This was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by the Acting Media Information Officer of Headquarters JTF North Central, Operation Savannah Shield, Captain Jamilu Yahaya, who said the arrests were made during routine patrols across different parts of the state.
He said, “Troops of Joint Task Force Operation Savannah Shield have apprehended five suspected bandits/terrorists informants in separate operations conducted in Niger State,” adding that the suspects were linked to criminal networks operating within the region.
In one of the operations along the Doro axis in Wawa, Borgu Local Government Area, on June 6, 2026, troops arrested three suspects believed to be members of a bandit group operating around the fringes of Kainji Lake National Park.
The statement said, “Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects were members of a bandit group operating in Duru, along the fringes of Kainji Lake National Park.”
Items recovered from them included two Tecno keypad phones, an MP3 device, and cash amounting to ₦113,400. The military also said the MP3 device contained “recorded propaganda and inciting messages claiming the abduction of an individual in Kaduna State and the collection of a ransom of Sixty Million Naira (₦60,000,000.00).”
In a separate operation, troops of 221 Battalion arrested two additional suspects during a patrol along a cantonment perimeter fence in Niger State.
According to the statement, “the suspects had been deployed as reconnaissance elements to gather information on the cantonment,” adding that one suspect’s phone contained a disturbing image of a beheaded individual dated May 2, 2026, suggesting possible links to terrorist activities.
Recovered items from the suspects included an Android phone, a Tecno keypad phone, a motorcycle, and ₦86,100 in cash.
All five suspects are currently in custody for further investigation, while troops continue efforts to track other members of the suspected network.
Captain Yahaya said the operations demonstrate the military’s determination to dismantle criminal support networks, adding that the Task Force is committed to denying criminal elements freedom of action and maintaining pressure on all threats to peace and security in the region.
He noted that the arrests were made amid ongoing security operations across the North Central, as troops continue efforts to combat banditry and disrupt the logistics and intelligence systems sustaining armed groups.
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