Troops from the 192 Battalion, operating under the 81 Division, successfully intercepted a truck carrying smuggled ammunition that was being transported into Anambra State by a syndicate.
The syndicate’s illicit activities were brought to a halt during a stop-and-search operation conducted by the troops on Saturday. The operation took place along Ajilete-Owode Road in Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State.
Brigadier-General Onyema Nwachukwu, the spokesman for the Nigerian Army, revealed these developments to journalists in Abuja on Monday.
According to Nwachukwu, the troops discovered the illegal ammunition concealed inside a truck bearing the registration number ENU 697 XY. The truck was found to be loaded with 720 packets of Red Star Cartridges, specifically of 12 calibre. Each packet contained 25 cartridges, resulting in a total of 18,000 cartridges.
Additionally, the troops seized 250 packets of live (black) cartridges, each containing 10 packets and totaling 2,500 cartridges of the same calibre.
Nwachukwu further stated that two individuals, Mr. Eric Seworvor, a Ghanaian, and the driver, Mr. Lukman Sani, were apprehended and taken into custody. These individuals are currently assisting the authorities in their ongoing investigations.
Preliminary investigations have revealed that the smuggled ammunition was surreptitiously concealed within the supposedly empty truck. The ammunition was imported from Mali via the Idiroko International Border. The criminals successfully evaded several other checkpoints along the route to their final destination in Onitsha, Anambra State, where they intended to deliver the illegal ammunition.
Nwachukwu emphasized that the timely intervention by the vigilant troops prevented the potential chaos that such a large quantity of ammunition could have unleashed upon innocent members of the public, had the criminals succeeded in their plan.
The spokesperson also called upon Nigerians to continue supporting the troops and other security agencies by providing credible information that can help prevent such criminal activities in the future.
