The Nigerian Army says its troops from the 34 Field Artillery Brigade in Owerri who are involved in the field training exercise of ‘Operation Crocodile Smile’ conducted raid on two major kidnappers camps belonging to ‘De-Well’ and ‘De-Gbam’ cult groups in Umuobi and Umudike forests, both in Ohaji-Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State, on Thursday, September 8, 2016.

During the raid, according to a statement issued this Friday afternoon by Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, one Chigozie a.k.a ‘Chi boy’, a notorious kingpin of one of the cult groups lost his life while another member of the gang was later found dead in the forest. “Quite a number of the gang members were believed to have escaped with gunshot wounds,” the Army said, stating further that the troops recovered a number of military uniforms and mobile telephone handsets and other household items before destroying the camps to prevent the cultists from regrouping in the area. The troops were also said to have continued to comb the general area for other members of the kidnapping syndicate.

•Photo shows one of the over-run camps.

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