Troops of the Joint Task Force, Operation Savannah Shield, have arrested five suspected bandits and terrorist informants in separate operations in Niger State, recovering communication devices, cash, and other items allegedly linked to criminal activities.
The Acting Media Information Officer of Headquarters JTF North Central, Operation Savannah Shield, Captain Jamilu Yahaya, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, saying the arrests were carried out during routine patrols in different locations across 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 reflect the military’s resolve to dismantle criminal support structures, noting that “the Task Force remains resolute in its mandate to deny criminal elements freedom of action and sustain pressure on all threats to peace and security within the region.”
The arrests come amid sustained security operations across the North Central region as troops intensify efforts to curb banditry and disrupt logistical and intelligence networks supporting armed groups.
