By STEPHEN ADELEYE

Troops of the 12 Brigade, Nigerian Army, have arrested a suspected terrorist ammunition courier and recovered 500 rounds of 7.62mm NATO belted ammunition along the Obajana-Lokoja Road in Kogi State.

The brigade’s spokesperson, Lt. Hassan Abdullahi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday in Lokoja.

Abdullahi said the operation was carried out on May 6, as part of the ongoing “Operation Tiger Paw II”.

According to him, troops acted on credible intelligence concerning the activities of an arms and ammunition syndicate intercepted the suspect, identified as Yahaya Umar, during a coordinated security operation.

He explained that the suspect was apprehended while transporting the ammunition concealed inside a bag of maize in an attempt to evade security checks.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that Umar is a key logistics courier involved in the movement of arms and ammunition for terrorists operating across states within the North Central region,” Abdullahi said.

He added that the ammunition was allegedly handed over to the suspect at the Obajana Forest and was being transported to Dikko Junction in Suleja, Niger State, for delivery to a yet-to-be-identified terrorist operative.

“The suspect is currently in custody and undergoing further interrogation to aid ongoing operations aimed at dismantling the criminal network and apprehending other members of the syndicate,” he stated.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the arrest came on the same day troops of the brigade recorded another major success with the rescue of nine kidnapped victims.

The victims were from the Daarul-Kitab Islamic Orphanage in Lokoja.

The victims, comprising five boys, two girls and two adult females believed to be wives of the orphanage proprietor, were rescued within the Agbaja Forest area of Lokoja Local Government Area following sustained search-and-rescue operations.

They were subsequently evacuated to the 12 Brigade Medical Centre for medical attention and have been reported to be in stable condition.

The Nigerian Army said the coordinated operations reflected its continued commitment to protecting lives and property, while intensifying efforts against terrorists and their collaborators.

It also urged members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies to support ongoing security operations. (NAN)

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