Operation Whirl Stroke Commander Tours COAS Intervention Battalion, Inspects Equipment in Makurdi
The Force Commander of Joint Task Force Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), Major General Moses Gara, on Wednesday, 27 August 2025, conducted an operational tour of key flashpoints under the Chief of Army Staff Intervention Battalion XI in Daudu, Uikpan, and Umenge, Benue State.
The visit also featured an equipment inspection at the 401 Special Forces Brigade Mechanical Transport Yard, Sector 1 OPWS, Makurdi.
Addressing troops, Major General Gara commended their resilience in sustaining patrols and ambushes across their areas of responsibility. He urged them to remain tough on criminals fuelling violence while stressing the need to balance kinetic and non-kinetic measures to guarantee farmers and residents safety.
He also charged vigilante groups to discourage community members from aiding criminals, warning that cattle found grazing on farmlands would be confiscated. “Criminality has no ethnic or tribal identity,” he cautioned.
Commanding Officer of the Battalion, Lt. Col. D. Otobo, reaffirmed his unit’s commitment to sustaining offensive operations based on actionable intelligence.
During the inspection, the Force Commander advised commanders to prioritise preventive maintenance of vehicles to enhance operational readiness. He was accompanied by Sector 1 Commander, Colonel Kolawole Bukoye, and other senior officers.
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