Suspects linked to bandit networks around Kainji Lake as military recovers phones, cash, and propaganda materials

Troops of the Joint Task Force, Operation Savannah Shield, have arrested five suspected bandit and terrorist informants during coordinated patrol operations in Niger State, tightening the military’s grip on criminal support networks in the region.

The arrests, confirmed by the Acting Media Information Officer, Captain Jamilu Muhammed Yahaya, were carried out in separate operations across Borgu Local Government Area and the perimeter of a military cantonment.

In the first operation on June 6, troops patrolling the Doro axis in Wawa, Borgu LGA, intercepted and arrested three suspects believed to be working with a bandit group active around Duru, near the Kainji Lake National Park corridor.

Items recovered from the suspects include two Tecno keypad phones, an MP3 device allegedly loaded with inciting and propaganda messages, and ₦113,400 in cash.

In a separate sweep, troops of the 221 Battalion apprehended two additional suspects during a patrol around a military cantonment fence. Preliminary investigations indicate the pair may have been deployed as reconnaissance agents tasked with gathering intelligence on the facility.

Recovered from them were an Android phone, a Tecno keypad phone, a motorcycle, and ₦86,100 in cash.

All five suspects are currently in military custody as investigations continue, with security forces intensifying efforts to identify and apprehend other members of the suspected network.

Operation Savannah Shield said the successful arrests underscore its resolve to dismantle terrorist logistics and intelligence chains, while denying criminal elements operational space across the region.