Troops of 192 Battalion Nigerian Army (NA) operating in 81 Division Area of Responsibility have busted an international ammunition smuggling network transporting a truckload of smuggled munitions to Anambra State.
The troops, who acted on actionable Intelligence, conducted a meticulous and rigorous Stop and Search operation along Ajilete-Owode Road in Yewa North LGA of Ogun State, according to Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu.
They discovered the illegal ammunition in a truck with the registration number ENU 697 XY, which was loaded with an additional 250 packets of live (black) cartridges, each containing 10 packets, which added up to 2500 cartridges of the same calibre and 720 packets of Red Star Cartridges of 12 Calibre, each containing 25 cartridges, for a total of 18, 000 cartridges.
The suspects, identified as the driver, Mr. Lukman Sani, and Mr. Eric Seworvor, a citizen of Ghana, have been detained and are assisting with continuing investigations.
The ammunition, which was concealed in a supposedly empty truck, was imported from Mali via the Idiroko International Border, where the criminals had successfully beaten several other checkpoints en-route to their final destination in Onitsha, Anambra State, where they intended to deliver the illegal ammunition.
However, timely intervention by the watchful troops averted the mayhem that such a large amount of ammunition would have caused among innocent members of the public if the criminals had succeeded.
As a result, the Nigerian Army begs to all law-abiding individuals to continue providing credible and actionable information to the troops and other security agencies as they tackle security concerns across the country.
Major General Taoreed Lagbaja, Chief of Army Staff, has praised the troops for their dedication and urged them not to give up as they work with other services and security agencies to provide a safe and secure environment for all Nigerians and socio-economic development across the country.
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