Army intercepts, destroys armoury of high-profile criminal in Taraba

By : NAN

Date: 4 January 2026 8:41pm WAT

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PIC.30. TROOPS OF 121 SPECIAL BATTALION AND 7 DIV. STRIKE GROUP, LISTENING TO THE CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF LT.-GEN. KENNETH MINIMAH DURING HIS VISIT TO BORNO ON THURSDAY (11/6/15). 3080/11/6/2015/CONSTANCE/CH/NAN

PIC.30. TROOPS OF 121 SPECIAL BATTALION AND 7 DIV. STRIKE GROUP, LISTENING TO THE CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF LT.-GEN. KENNETH MINIMAH DURING HIS VISIT TO BORNO ON THURSDAY (11/6/15). 3080/11/6/2015/CONSTANCE/CH/NAN

Troops of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) have intercepted the wife of a notorious criminal kingpin, John Gata, and neutralised a major arms cache in Amadu Village, Takum Local Government Area, Taraba.

A credible source at Army Headquarters told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday that actionable intelligence indicated the suspect’s wife was moving from Amadu Village through Wukari, Kyado, and Zaki-Biam toward Gboko.

The source said the troops of Sub Sector 1A promptly established a snap roadblock at Zaki-Biam, successfully intercepting the woman without incident.

He said the suspect later led troops to the criminal’s hidden armoury, where they recovered 13 AK-47 rifles, 38 magazines, 690 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, and four hand grenades.

According to him, the facility was subsequently destroyed to deny further use by the criminal network.

He confirmed that troops returned safely to base and noted that the security situation in the area remained calm but unpredictable, with civil-military relations cordial.

“Troops’ morale and operational readiness continue to remain high as fighting and confidence-building patrols persist in the region,” he said.

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