By Gabriel Ameh
ABUJA, Nigeria – Troops of the Joint Task Force Operation WHIRL STROKE, working with operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), have arrested a suspected kidnapper while collecting an alleged ₦200,000 ransom from a female resident.
The suspect, identified as Mukaila Iliyasu, was arrested during an intelligence-led operation conducted on October 29, 2026.
According to the military, the operation followed intelligence provided by DSS operatives over an alleged threat by the suspect to abduct a woman if she failed to pay ₦200,000.
Acting on the information, troops of Sector 2, Operation WHIRL STROKE, and DSS operatives coordinated an anti-kidnapping operation to apprehend the suspect.
During the operation, a soldier reportedly went undercover and posed as someone delivering the demanded money.
The suspect was arrested while allegedly collecting the ₦200,000, effectively foiling the threatened abduction.
He was subsequently handed over to the DSS for further investigation and possible prosecution.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Saturday by Lieutenant Ahmad Zubairu Zubairu, Acting Media Information Officer, Headquarters, Joint Task Force Operation WHIRL STROKE.
The Force Commander of Operation WHIRL STROKE and General Officer Commanding 5 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Moses Kolo Gara, commended the troops and DSS operatives for their professionalism and effective collaboration.
Gara urged security personnel to sustain intelligence sharing and operational cooperation to strengthen efforts against kidnapping and other security threats within the Joint Operations Area.
The military reaffirmed the importance of coordinated security operations in identifying criminal threats, protecting vulnerable residents and preventing kidnapping activities.
SOURCE: Headquarters, Joint Task Force Operation WHIRL STROKE.
