The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Maj.-Gen. Adeyemi Yekini

  • Military arrests two suspected arms manufacturers in Benue

    The headquarters of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), an ongoing special military operation in Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba states, says it has arrested two suspected arms manufacturers in Logo Local Government Area of Benue.

    Maj-Gen Adeyemi Yekini, the OPWS commander, who disclosed this while addressing journalists on Monday in Makurdi, said that the two suspects were arrested by the OPWS sector command in Logo, following a tip-off from local informants.

    Yekini said that after local sources hinted the OPWS headquarters of the activities of the manufactures, it took them four weeks of surveillance operations to identify the factories and the suspects.

    He said that after processing all the information at its disposal, the information was relayed to its sector command for action.

    According to him, it was the sector command that arrested the suspected arms manufacturers at different sites in Tine Nune village.

    Also speaking, the sector commander of the OPWS in the area, Capt. Samuel Okinahi, said that it was not an easy task arresting the suspects.

    He said that several weapons were recovered from the manufacturing sites, adding that the suspected manufacturers admitted having customers in Benue and Taraba states.

    He said that the two suspects were arrested on March 24, by operatives of the command.

    Speaking to newsmen, one of the suspects, claimed to have studied Telecommunication Engineering in Mauritania for five years, before returning to Nigeria.

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    The suspect also claimed to have acquired the skills of arms production while studying abroad but lamented that all efforts to secure a viable business failed owing to the activities of witches in his community.

    “Upon my return to the country, all my efforts at getting a viable business to do failed owing to my people’s witchcraft.

    “Having expended all my resources on other businesses to no avail, I decided to take advantage of the lingering communal crises in my community to venture into arms manufacture to make a living,” he said.

    He said that each AK47 machine gun costs between N350, 000 and N400, 000 while a pistol goes for N150,000.

    According to him, he has been in the business for two years and has numerous customers both in Benue and Taraba states.

    Some of the arms that the OPWS said were manufactured by the suspects inclulded sub-machine guns, AK47, pistols, knives and other assorted local weapons. (NAN)

  • Certain forces instigating violence in Benue — Military

    The military said certain powerful forces in Benue were responsible for the recent attacks on communities in the state.

    Maj-Gen Adeyemi Yekini, the Force Commander, Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), made the statement at a press briefing on Sunday in Makurdi.

    Yekini also said such individuals were instigating violence as could be seen in the recent attacks on communities preceding major elections in the country.

    ” It is obvious that some forces are instigating violence in Benue; it is not a coincidence that there was an attack on Agatu community a week to the presidential election and now there is another attack on Gwer West a week to the governorship election.”

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that OPWS was inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2018 to tackle cases of armed banditry on communities in Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba states.

    The force commander said the military outfit had intensified operations along Loko-Agatu, Kwande and other border communities in Benue to prevent reoccurrence of the attacks.

    He condemned the preference to cattle over human lives by those who retaliated because of cattle theft.

    Flt Officer Mohammed Abubakar, the Sector Commander,OPWS in Gwer West Local Government Area, said some people were using military uniforms to rustle cattle.

    ” Those people who did this are suspected to be Livestock Guards, according to our local sources,” he said.

    Abubakar said seven corpses had already been recovered.

    According to him, the council chairman of Gwer West, Mr Francis Ayaga and the Divisional Police Officer of the local government area have already submitted seven names of the suspects to him.(NAN)

  • Army recovers 45 weapons, repels attack in Nasarawa

    The Commander of Operation Wild Stroke in charge of Nasarawa, Benue and Taraba states, Maj.Gen.Adeyemi Yekini, says the army has recovered 45 assorted weapons and 701 assorted ammunitions from Bassa militia camp in Zwere, Toto Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

    Yekini while presenting the recovered items on Wednesday before newsmen in Lafia said that the operation followed an intelligence report.

    According to him, Operation Wild Stroke is an intervention force which was established about eight months ago with the mandate to put to an end the incessant killings by armed herdsmen, militia groups and other criminal elements operating in Nasarawa, Benue and Taraba States.

    “We have recovered a lot of items in terms of weapons, ammunition and even in terms of arresting suspects in the last eight months.

    “Two days ago, our force ran into ambush by suspected Bassa militia in Ugya, Toto Local Government Area of Nasarawa State but we thank God nobody died.

    “We were able to clear the ambush and even inflicted injuries on the militia.

    “We began our operation and discovered the Bassa suspected militia camp at Zwere,Toto Local Government Area of the state.

    “We were able to recover 45 assorted weapons and 701 assorted ammunitions which include 39 locally made rifles, 2 G3 rifles, 3 locally made pistols, 1 SMG, 5 G3 rifle magazines, 4 revolver cartridge holdersholders”.
    “Others are 9 mm pistol links, 100 special rounds, Nigerian Army military uniforms, handsets, charms among others, “he said.

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    He advised militias and other criminal elements in the area and the state to shun criminal activities in their interest and in the interest of peace and development.

    The Commander said that his men will continue to be up and doing in order to flush out criminals in Nasarawa, Benue and Taraba states.

    The Nation recalls that in 2018, there were incessant clashes between Bassa and Egbura communities inToto LGA of Nasarawa State which resulted to loss of lives and properties.

  • Military to militia groups: Vacate Benue, Taraba, Nasarawa

    Authorities of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) have given all militia groups terrorizing residents of Benue, Taraba and Nasarawa up to December to vacate the states or risk forceful eviction.

    The military operation is responsible for maintaining peace and order in the three states currently facing threats of insurgency.

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    Commander of the military operation, Maj.-Gen. Adeyemi Yekini, announced the deadline while speaking to newsmen on Tuesday in Makurdi.

    Yekini said that insurgents still hiding in areas currently inaccessible in the three states due to rough terrain, would be flushed out before December.

    According to him, the rains and the bad roads have halted our advances into the hinterlands where pockets of the insurgents are still hiding.

    He, however, assured that with the dry season fast approaching, there would be no limits to advances and attacks on the insurgents.

    The commander said “so far, we have facilitated a total number of 150, 000 IDPs to their homes in Benue State” and assured that the IDPs would be given adequate protection in their various villages.

    He said that the herdsmen militia and other militia groups in the state, especially the Gana gang, must vacate the states or risk forceful eviction.

    He attributed the delay in the return of some IDPs to their homes to security and socio-economic challenges and appealed to the various state governments to support efforts to resettle the displaced.

    “It’s not because of security challenges alone that IDPs are not returning home, people are there as economic IDPs because the resources to actually go back on their own without some form of assistance is not available for them.

    “So, I think that the state government should be looking at the model that was adopted by Nasarawa state whereby when the people were going back home, the government intervened and provided some seedlings.

    “The government also gave them building materials, and even cash, to enable them go back home.

    “Even those who have returned home, many of them still return to the camps to eat in the day time.

    “They’re not permanently in the camp; many of them are just there because of lack of resources for them to return to their homes and not because of security,” Yekini explained.

    He also confirmed the killing of the wife of Gana and 12 members of his gang, adding that the operation had neutralized no fewer than 100 criminal elements in the state.