Operation Restore Peace: Military, Police Tighten Grip on Benue’s Troubled Axis

A fresh wave of military and police action is sweeping through Benue State as security forces intensify Operation Restore Peace, zeroing in on the violence-plagued Sankara axis.

Credible intelligence and aerial reconnaissance carried out on September 26 revealed the movement of heavily armed bandits lurking around the Takum boundary between Benue and Taraba States. Security sources confirmed that the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) is considering a precision airborne strike to neutralize the threat before the gangs regroup.

In a parallel move to boost coordination, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) presided over a high-level security stakeholders’ meeting at the Katsina-Ala Area Command. The session brought together top police commanders, local leaders, and government officials, where renewed strategies to confront the bandit menace were tabled.

The Benue State Government, acknowledging the sacrifices of fallen heroes, announced a N500,000 support package for the burial of security personnel killed during the September 19 operation. Additionally, the chairmen of the three Sankara local governments pledged not only financial assistance but also community-driven intelligence support, aimed at flushing out collaborators shielding criminal gangs.

Security chiefs in attendance reaffirmed their resolve to sustain the crackdown until lasting peace is restored. “This is not a one-off mission; it is a sustained campaign to reclaim our communities from bandits and restore confidence among the people,” a senior officer told Daily Post.

With air surveillance on high alert and ground forces tightening their grip, residents of Benue are watching anxiously, hoping that Operation Restore Peace will finally silence the guns in the region’s troubled heartland.