Troops of Joint Task Force Operation Savannah Shield have arrested five suspected bandits/terrorists informants and recovered communication devices and cash in separate operations in Niger State, the military said on Sunday.
Captain Jamilu Muhammed Yahaya, Acting Media Information Officer of Headquarters Joint Task Force North Central Operation Savannah Shield, said three suspects were apprehended on June 6 during a patrol along the Doro axis in Wawa, Borgu LGA.
He said preliminary investigations showed the suspects belonged to a bandit group operating around Duru, near Kainji Lake National Park. Items recovered from them included two Tecno keypad phones, an MP3 device with recorded propaganda and inciting messages claiming an abduction and ₦60 million ransom in Kaduna State, and ₦113,400 cash. The suspects and exhibits are in custody for further investigation.
In a second operation, troops of 221 Battalion arrested two other suspected informants along the cantonment perimeter fence. Yahaya said the suspects were deployed to conduct reconnaissance on the cantonment.
A search of one suspect’s phone revealed a photograph of a beheaded individual dated May 2, 2026, suggesting possible links to terrorist activities. Troops also recovered one Android phone, one Tecno keypad phone, a motorcycle, and ₦86,100 cash from them.
Yahaya said the arrests underscored the task force’s commitment to dismantling criminal and terrorist support networks in the Joint Operations Area, adding that efforts were ongoing to apprehend other members of the network.
