The Nigerian Army said it has recovered a cache of arms and ammunition during a precision intelligence-led operation in Rivers State.

The Nigerian Army, in a statement posted on its official X page on Friday said the recovery followed sustained offensive against criminal elements in the South-East, with troops of Sector 4, Joint Task Force South-East, Operation UDO KA.

The statement said, “The operation, conducted in the early hours of 23 July 2026, targeted a suspected criminal hideout at Awara Community Waterside in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area and along the Omoku–Ogbaku–Ndoni axis of Rivers State.

“Acting on credible intelligence, the troops raided the forest enclave believed to have been used by criminal elements as a staging base for planning kidnappings and launching attacks against security personnel and innocent citizens.

“Troops during the operation recovered one Lee-Enfield MK I rifle, one G3 rifle, 116 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition and 13 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition. The operation is still ongoing to totally clear the general area of all forms of criminalities.“

The statement noted that this latest recovery is fourth successful seizure of illegal arms and ammunition by troops within the last two weeks.

“This further demonstrates the effectiveness of intelligence-driven operations and the growing synergy between the Nigerian Army, sister security agencies and patriotic members of the public.

“The public is encouraged to continue supporting ongoing operations by providing timely and credible information, as collective vigilance remains critical to achieving enduring peace, security and stability across the South-East and the nation at large,” the statement added. (PUNCH)