Military Detains Five Suspected Terrorist Informants in Niger State Operations

Troops of the Joint Task Force (JTF) Operation Savannah Shield (OPSS) have apprehended five suspected bandits and terrorist informants during separate operations in Niger State, a military spokesperson announced on Sunday, June 7, 2026.

Captain Jamilu Muhammed Yahaya, Acting Media Information Officer for the JTF North Central operation, disclosed that the arrests occurred on June 6, 2026. During a routine patrol along the Doro axis in Wawa, Borgu Local Government Area, troops arrested three suspects. Preliminary investigations indicated the suspects were members of a bandit group operating in Duru near Kainji Lake National Park.

Items recovered from the three suspects included two Tecno keypad phones, an MP3 device containing recorded propaganda and inciting messages claiming an abduction in Kaduna State and a ransom of sixty million naira (N60,000,000), as well as cash amounting to one hundred and thirteen thousand, four hundred naira (N113,400). The suspects and the recovered items are in custody for further investigation.

In a separate operation, troops of 221 Battalion under the same task force apprehended two additional suspected informants during a patrol along the cantonment perimeter fence. Preliminary investigations suggested the suspects had been deployed as reconnaissance elements to gather information on the cantonment. Examination of one suspect's mobile phone revealed a photograph showing a beheaded individual, dated May 2, 2026.