Troops arrest kidnapper’s informant in Taraba and seize ammunition

Men of the 6th Brigade/Sector 3 of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) in Taraba State have arrested Miss Markus Grace, an informant of the suspected kidnapper.

In two separate operations, the troops also seized an AK-47 rifle and a vehicle.

A press release signed by the Deputy Director of 6th Army Brigade, Captain Olubodunde Oni, said Miss Markus Grace confessed during interrogation to being the girlfriend of a notorious kidnapper named Chen, who was reportedly terrorising the border communities of Wukari/Benue.

He stated that the suspect is currently in custody and further investigations are being carried out against her to uncover the extent of her involvement in various criminal activities.

According to a statement following the recent abduction of one Malam Saidu from his residence in Vesee Community in Ukum Local Government Area of ​​Benue State, troops of the 6th Brigade in Sondi village in Wukari Local Government Area of ​​Taraba State on September 6, 2024, conducted an intelligence-led operation and arrested an informant of the suspected kidnapper, named Markus Grace, for reportedly assisting kidnappers and criminal elements in the area.

The statement further stated that late in the evening of September 5, 2024, troops of the Brigade, while on routine search and control patrol in Bantaje town in Wukari LGA, stopped a suspicious blue Toyota Yaris vehicle with registration number Taraba KLD 652 XA coming from Wukari and heading towards Jalingo. When stopped, the driver abandoned the vehicle and fled into the nearby bushes.

Oni said a thorough search of the abandoned vehicle revealed one AK-47 rifle, one AK-47 magazine and two identity cards of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Mutum Biyu Branch of Gassol LGA of Taraba State, bearing the names of Isa Ibrahim and Mallam Isa Garin Tukura.

He said investigations to track down and arrest the suspect and determine the involvement of persons in possession of the identity cards were still ongoing.

Meanwhile, the Commander of the 6th Brigade, Brigadier General Kingsley Chidiebere Uwa, has responded to the force’s successful operations.

He praised them for their professionalism and prompt action and called on residents to continue to cooperate with security authorities and provide them with timely information that could help prevent and combat criminal activities.

He also assured the public that the 6th Brigade remains committed to its mission of maintaining peace and security and reiterated its zero-tolerance stance towards all forms of criminality in Taraba State and its environs.