Rescues Two Kidnapping Victims along Naka–Ahume Road amid Persistent Violence
By Ekani Olikita
(MAKURDI) — Nigerian troops have repelled an armed attack in central Nigeria’s Benue State, recovering two AK-47 rifles and other items.
In a separate military operation, troops rescued two kidnapping victims along Makurdi-Ahume-Naka Road.The operations occurred on Monday, October 26, 2026 in Nzorov Community, Guma County and on Saturday, October 24, 2026 along the Naka–Ahume Road in Gwer-West County, according to the military’s Joint Task Force, Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS).
In Guma, troops recovered two assault rifles, four empty AK-47 magazines, eight calves, three mobile phones, and a National Identification Number (NIN) document belonging to one of the terrorists identified as Usman Yusuf.
Lieutenant Ahmad Zubairu, the task force’s Acting Media Information Officer, said the October 26 operation followed intelligence indicating that suspected armed criminals had crossed from neighboring Nasarawa State into Guma, disguised as herders.
“On arrival at the location, the troops came under gunfire from the armed group. The troops responded effectively, repelled the attack and forced the assailants to flee,” Zubairu said in a statement.
No military personnel were reported killed or injured during the encounter.
The Force Commander of OPWS, Major General Moses Kolo Gara, commended the troops and urged them to strengthen cooperation with local communities and sustain intelligence-led operations. He also encouraged residents to report suspicious movements promptly to security agencies.
Troops rescue kidnapping victims along Naka–Ahume Road
Credit: Google map
In a separate incident three days earlier,, troops rescued two people on October 24 after confronting suspected kidnappers attempting to abduct motorists and other road users along the Naka–Ahume Road in Gwer-West County
According to the military, the troops engaged the suspects in a firefight, forcing them to abandon their captives and flee.
One rescued victim, Mrs. Mngunengen Ihom, 36, a resident of Ahume, suffered machete wounds and was taken to Naka General Hospital for treatment. The military did not publicly identify the second victim.
The incident has renewed concerns about the safety of residents and travelers on rural roads connecting farming communities in Benue State.
Residents Demand Lasting Protection
Tivta Samuel, a Youth Leader from Nzorov Community in Guma County said, the incident has heightened fear among residents of the county.
“From Gbajimba, the headquarters of Guma Local Government Area (county) to Yelewata, the center of the 2025 Christian genocide, our people are living in palpable fear, as they don’t want a repeat of the June 2025 massacre during which, 271 of our people were killed by heavily armed Fulani Militia”.
“This group of armed Fulani terrorists that has just been repelled in Guma may not be the only group, more may be around, preparing for deadly attacks. I urge the security agencies to carry out preemptive strikes and not to wait until the aftermath of an attack”, Tivta told TruthNigeria.
Stephen Amande, a Resident of Ahume community where the attempted kidnapping was foiled, in an interview with TruthNigeria, called on the Federal government to beef up security as dry season appears
“We have been experiencing relative peace in Benue State for the past three months because of the high volume of River Benue which hindered movement of terrorists from neighboring Nasarawa State. Attacks, kidnappings and killings will escalate as the river keeps drying up. I am calling on the government to beef up security ahead of time”, Amande told TruthNigeria.
Guma County, headquartered in Gbajimba, and Gwer-West County, headquartered in Naka, located 25 miles Northeast and 33 miles Southwest of Makurdi, the State Capital respectively, are agrarian counties, inhabited by Tiv speaking people who are predominantly Catholic.
Both counties, like others in the state, have faced recurring reports of armed attacks from Fulani tribal criminals, killings, displacement and kidnappings since 2013. Residents say crime threatens farming activities, disrupts local trade and forces families to reconsider traveling after dark.
Displacement underscores the crisis
The violence in Benue has contributed to a prolonged humanitarian crisis. Amnesty International reported in July 2025 that approximately 510,182 people were internally displaced across the state.
Armed Fulani militia have been linked to nearly 24,000 civilian deaths during a four-year reporting period, according to the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa (ORFA), making the gradual violent takeover of Benue State one of Nigeria’s deadliest ongoing security crises.
Security agencies should brace up for the violence ahead as dry seasons approaches, DSP Wisdom Obekpa (rtd), a Counterterrorism Expert, said to TruthNigeria.
“It is expected that security agencies should have taken over the flashpoints where armed terrorists from neighboring Nasarawa, Kogi and Taraba States pass through to attack Benue communities during dry season, which is few weeks ahead, failure of which they should be blamed”, Obekpa told TruthNigeria
For residents of Guma and Gwer-West, the immediate challenge extends beyond recovering weapons or rescuing individual captives. Lasting security will depend on preventing further attacks, protecting vulnerable communities and restoring the freedom to farm and travel without fear.
Ekani Olikita is a conflict reporter for TruthNigeria.
