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.

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.

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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.