Nigerian Army troops have recovered a cache of weapons and ammunition during an intelligence-led operation against suspected criminal elements in Rivers State. The operation was carried out by troops of Sector 4, Joint Task Force South-East, Operation UDO KA, as part of ongoing efforts to tackle insecurity in the region.
According to the Army, the raid was conducted in the early hours of July 23 at a suspected criminal hideout located at Awara Community Waterside in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area, along the Omoku–Ogbaku–Ndoni axis.
The military said the forest camp was believed to have served as a base where criminal gangs planned kidnappings and attacks on security personnel and residents before launching their operations.
During the operation, troops recovered one Lee-Enfield MK I rifle, one G3 rifle, 116 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition and 13 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition.
The Army said the operation is still ongoing, with troops continuing to comb the area in a bid to flush out criminal elements and restore security.
It added that the latest recovery marked the fourth successful seizure of illegal arms and ammunition by troops within the last two weeks, describing it as evidence of the effectiveness of intelligence-driven operations.
The military also credited the success of the operation to improved collaboration between the Nigerian Army, other security agencies and members of the public who provided useful intelligence.
Residents were urged to continue supporting security agencies by providing timely and credible information that could help prevent criminal activities and improve security across the South-East and neighbouring communities.