Operation Whirl Stroke Rescues Seven Kidnap Victims in Benue's Ohimini LGA

Troops of Operation Whirl Stroke, alongside police and vigilantes, rescue seven kidnap victims from a suspected terrorist enclave near Amla-Icho, Ogobia, and Anpekchi in Ohimini LGA, Benue State.

Ohimini, Benue State — September 14, 2026

Troops of Operation Whirl Stroke, working alongside the Nigerian Police Force and local vigilantes, have rescued seven kidnapped victims from a suspected terrorist enclave in Ohimini Local Government Area of Benue State.

The operation followed credible intelligence on the activities of suspected kidnappers operating around Amla-Icho, Ogobia, and Anpekchi communities, the same general axis where a separate mass kidnapping and rescue operation unfolded last month along the Otukpo-Adoka Road.

Acting swiftly on the intelligence, troops, police, and local partners conducted an intelligence-led search-and-rescue operation across the identified areas. Suspected kidnappers fled into the surrounding terrain upon sighting the approaching troops, abandoning their victims in the process. 

Troops immediately secured the area and rescued all seven victims, bringing them safely out of harm's way. A vehicle linked to the criminal operation was also recovered and handed over to the Nigerian Police Force for further action.

Operation Whirl Stroke commended the troops involved for their proactiveness, courage, and swift response, while also appreciating the Nigerian Police Force and local vigilantes for their cooperation and support throughout the operation. 

OPWS renewed its appeal to the public to continue providing credible, timely information to security agencies, stressing that security remains a collective responsibility.

The rescue adds to a string of kidnapping-related operations concentrated in this corridor of Benue State, following the resolution of the larger Otukpo-Adoka mass kidnapping case in August, and reinforces the persistent vulnerability of this axis to organised abduction rings, even as joint security operations continue to record repeated successes in tracking down and freeing victims.