The Defence Headquarters(DHQ), Thursday said Soldiers from the Guards Brigade, Nigerian army have arrested 64 suspected hoodlums planning to disrupt the 62, Independence Day Celebration in the Federal Capital Territory.

Director Defence Media Operations (DMO), Major General Musa Danmadami, who made this known, said the hoodlums were arrested during a raid by the soldiers at Karshi hill and surrounding villages in Abuja Municipal Area Council following intelligence report.

He said that the suspects mostly youths and dressed in black attires were armed with nine locally made guns at the time of their arrest. He further stated that they were planning to carry out attack on various parts of the FCT before they were arrested.

Gen Danmadami, at a media briefing on armed forces operations conducted between September 22-October 6, said the soldiers also arrested 33 suspected illegal miners at an illegal mining site at Gwagwalada Area Council, also in the FCT.

He said the soldiers who have been embarking on raid of criminals hotspots in the FCT, arrested five suspected drug peddlers along Koroduma-Asokoro Guzape in Abuja Municipal Area and recovered eleven bags of substance suspected to be cannabis sativa was recovered from the suspects.

The DMO, spokesman while noting that troops have continued to crack down on the activities of criminal elements in their general area of operations, said “On 25 September 2022, troops of Guards Brigade raided an identified illegal drug peddlers hideout along Koroduma-Asokoro Guzape in Abuja Municipal Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory and arrested 5 suspected drug peddlers, while 11 bags of substance suspected to be cannabis sativa was recovered from the suspects. Equally, on 1 October 2022 Guards Brigade troops raided Karshi hill and surrounding villages in Abuja Municipal Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory following intelligence on plans by hoodlums to disrupt the Independence Day Celebration, consequently, troop arrested 64 youths in black attires armed with 9 locally made guns.

He said “In another development 33 suspected illegal miners were arrested at an illegal mining site at Gwagwalada Area Council. All apprehended criminals were handed over to the Nigeria Police Federal Capital Command for further action. (Daily Sun)

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