Military operation to flush out militants in Benue, two other states, winds down
The Nigeria Defense Headquarters (DHQ), on Friday, said that Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), had achieved its set mandate and would wind down in phases.
The Acting Director, Defence Information, Brig. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, disclosed this in Gbise, Katsina-Ala Local Government Area, during a media tour of crisis-hit areas in Benue and Taraba.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that OPWS, which was launched on May 2018, with a mandate to end the herders/farmers crisis, covers Benue, Taraba and Nasarawa states.
NAN further reports that the troops were also tasked to flush out all armed militia gangs terrorising parts of Benue and Taraba.
Nwachukwu explained that the DHQ was not planning to immediately shot down the operation even though OPWS had achieved its set mandate.
He said that the proposed winding-up would be in phases.
The DHQ spokesman explained that the task force had, during the operations, carried out both kinetics and non- kinetics approaches so as to restore peace in the three states.
“It is not an out right shutdown of the operation, so it is not as if we are going to pack our bags and vacate the operational arena. That is not going to happen. So, we don’t want anybody in Benue and Taraba States to panic unnecessarily.
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“What is actually going to happen is that we have a mission and our mission fundamentally is to restore peace in Benue, Taraba and Nasarawa States and, to a very large extent, that mission has been achieved.
“There is going to be a draw down but not immediately. It will be in phases. As we wind down the operation, we have some benchmarks that have been put in place to ensure that there is no resurgence of this criminality,” he explained.
He said that the task force had also liberated Gbise community, which was hitherto under the control of some criminal gangs, with community members paying royalties to him.
The Force Commander, OPWS, Maj. Gen. Adeyemi Yekini, who also spoke, disclosed that the outfit had conducted 23 peace meetings with stakeholders as a result of the Tiv/Jukum crisis.
Yekini said that the approach of OPWS was always two-phased – kinetics and non-kinetics -, adding that it had helped in ending Tiv/Jukun crisis.
He disclosed that a total of 55 members of criminal gangs, who were either direct gang members or informants of notorious groups, were arrested.
“Our first task was to liberate Gbise and Katsina-Ala Local Governments from the grip of criminal gangs. These places have suffered so much in the hands of these criminal elements and even formed almost a state within a state.
“We felt that this shouldn’t be acceptable; we only have one indivisible country and will not allow any criminal or hoodlums to terrorise the public and carve out an empire for themselves.
“We are able to achieve our mission and the area is now finally peaceful.”
NAN reports that during the tour, Journalists visited Gbise in Kastina-Ala, Benue State and Kufa-Ahmadu in Takum, and Wukari Local Governments in Taraba.
