Nigerian troops from the 192 Battalion of the Nigerian Army operating in the 81 Division Area of Responsibility successfully disrupted an international ammunition smuggling syndicate on Saturday, July 15, 2023.
A statement by the Director of Army Public Relations, Onyema Nwachukwu, a Brigadier General said that acting on actionable intelligence, the troops conducted a thorough Stop and Search operation along the Ajilete-Owode Road in Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State.
During the operation, the troops discovered a truck with registration number ENU 697 XY, which was loaded with illicit ammunition. The truck contained 720 packets of Red Star Cartridges of 12 Calibre, with each packet containing 25 cartridges, totaling 18,000 cartridges.
Additionally, there were 250 packets of live (black) cartridges, with each packet containing 10 cartridges, amounting to 2,500 cartridges of the same calibre.
The two individuals involved in the smuggling operation were identified as Eric Seworvor, a Ghanaian national, and the truck driver, Lukman Sani. They have been apprehended and are currently assisting with ongoing investigations.
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Preliminary findings from the investigation indicate that the smuggled ammunition, cleverly concealed within the supposed empty truck, originated from Mali and entered Nigeria through the Idiroko International Border. The criminals managed to evade several checkpoints along the way until they were intercepted by the vigilant troops in Onitsha, Anambra State, their intended destination.
Thanks to the timely intervention of the troops, potential chaos that could have been caused by the large quantity of ammunition was averted, thus safeguarding innocent civilians.
The Nigerian Army urges law-abiding citizens to continue supporting the troops and other security agencies by providing credible and actionable information as they combat security challenges across the country.
Major General Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of Army Staff, commended the troops for their dedication and called on them to remain steadfast in collaboration with other services and security agencies.
Their collective efforts aim to ensure the safety and security of all Nigerians and foster socio-economic development throughout the country.
(omayowa@globalfinancialdigest.com; Newsroom: +234 8033 964 138)
