Army Nabs Notorious Bandit Kingpin in Benue Raid

Wukari, Benue State – In a daring intelligence-fueled strike, soldiers from the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Wukari, attached to the 6 Brigade Nigerian Army and Sector 3 of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), have dismantled a key bandit cell terrorizing Nigeria’s North-Central region.

The breakthrough came late Saturday, December 21, when crack troops swooped on Vaase Community in Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State. Their target: Fidelis Gayama, a high-profile suspect long hunted by security forces for orchestrating kidnappings and armed robberies along the volatile Benue-Taraba border.

Gayama, now in military custody, emerges as a linchpin in a sprawling criminal syndicate. Investigators link him directly to Aka Dogo, the elusive armed gang leader whose group has sown fear on the Kente-Wukari Road and nearby frontiers. Travelers and rural dwellers have endured relentless attacks, with recent 2025 incidents spiking amid escalating farmer-herder clashes and bandit incursions in Ukum— a hotspot where over 20 kidnappings were reported in the past year alone, per local police logs.

ADVERTISEMENT

Nigeria Police at the Vaase Outpost swiftly corroborated the army’s haul, identifying Gayama as a prime wanted fugitive from the Beji Police Division in Ukum LGA. “This is the man we’ve been tracking,” a police source confirmed, underscoring the suspect’s role in a network that preyed on motorists and communities straddling state lines.

The operation exemplifies the military’s pivot to precision raids, fueled by community tips amid Benue’s security crisis. Brigadier General Kingsley Chidiebere Uwa, Commander of 6 Brigade Nigerian Army and Sector 3 OPWS, hailed his troops’ “professionalism, discipline, and operational precision.” He vowed relentless pursuits to crush such gangs, urging citizens: “Keep the credible information flowing—it’s crippling these criminals.”

Gayama faces handover to relevant agencies for deeper probes and prosecution under Nigerian law. This arrest deals a body blow to bandits exploiting the porous border, where OPWS has ramped up patrols following a surge in cross-state raids. As dry-season offensives intensify, residents along the axis express cautious optimism for safer roads ahead.

Umar Muhammad, Lt., Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 6 Brigade Nigerian Army, contributed to this report.