A coordinated security operation involving troops of the 4 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Air Force, the Police, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Edo State Security Corps has led to the arrest of 13 suspects and the recovery of arms and other items in forest areas of Edo State.
The operation, codenamed Operation IGBO DANU 1, was carried out to neutralise and flush out terrorists and kidnappers, as well as rescue victims, in Osara Community in Etsako West Local Government Area, and parts of Auchi and Okpella communities in Edo North Senatorial District.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 4 Brigade, Captain Kennedy Anyanwu, disclosed that eight suspects were apprehended during the first phase of the operation.
He identified them as Jamilu Mohammad (25), Kasim Abu (33), Braimoh Affeez (31), Sulaiman Hamisu (36), Lawan Umaru (25), Bawa Auwal (24), Musa Umaru (40) and Amodu Attai (50).
According to him, “Weapons recovered from the suspects include one English Auto Pump-action gun, four live cartridges, and one locally made pistol.
“Other items seized were a Point-of-Sale (POS) machine, two cutlasses, a Nikon digital camera, two Android phones, a metal hook, five bottles of codeine syrup, two Indian hemp weighing scales, and quantities of substances suspected to be cannabis sativa, tramadol, ice, loud and colos. The sum of ₦87,550 was also recovered.”
Captain Anyanwu added that the suspects, along with the recovered items, had been handed over to the Edo State Police Command for further investigation.
He further revealed that in a related operation, troops of the 4 Brigade, working with the Edo State Police Command, conducted a raid on the Aviele Forest in Etsako West Local Government Area as part of efforts to dislodge suspected terrorists and kidnappers.
During the raid, five additional suspects were arrested. They were identified as Isiaka Abubakar (37), Mohammad Abubakar (25), Yusuf Abubakar (24), Mohammed Somu (20) and Isiaka Ibrahim (30). Items recovered from them included two motorcycles, two Android phones and a power bank. The suspects and recovered items were also handed over to the police for further investigation.
The statement noted that the Commander of 4 Brigade, Brigadier General Ahmed Balogun, who personally led the operations, praised the swift response and cooperation among the participating security agencies. He warned that Edo State would be made unsafe for terrorists, kidnappers and other criminal elements to carry out their activities.
He also reaffirmed the Brigade’s determination to protect lives and property across the state and expressed appreciation to the General Officer Commanding, 2 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Chinedu Nnebeife, for his strategic guidance and support.
