Troops of the Nigerian Army have arrested two suspected criminals and recovered arms, ammunition and other incriminating items during separate operations in Abia and Kaduna states.
The army disclosed this in a statement shared on its official social media accounts on Sunday, saying the operations were carried out by troops of Joint Task Force North West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, and Joint Task Force South East, Operation UDO KA, as part of ongoing offensives against criminal elements across the country.
In the South-East, the army said troops of 14 Brigade under Operation UDO KA “swiftly responded to a distress call” on May 9, 2026, regarding alleged illegal possession of a firearm at Umuoriehe village in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State.
The statement said troops acted on “credible information” and arrested 22-year-old Ifeanyi Ezebuiro, recovering “one foreign-made Ruger pistol” from him.
“During preliminary investigation, the suspect claimed the weapon belonged to his late father,” the Army stated.
It added: “The suspect and recovered firearm remain in custody pending further investigation.”
In a separate operation, the statement continued, troops of 2 Battalion deployed at the Forward Operating Base in Dogon Dawa, on May 8, 2026, intercepted a suspected bandit identified as 32-year-old Ibrahim Adamu, during a snap roadblock operation at Damari in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The army said the suspect was riding a motorcycle when he was stopped and searched, adding that troops recovered “one AK-47 magazine, 3 mobile phones, Indian hemp and other items” from him.
It stated that preliminary exploitation of the suspect’s mobile phone revealed “incriminating photographs showing him dressed in military camouflage and armed with a PKT machine gun alongside other suspected bandits.”
“The suspect and recovered items are currently in military custody for further investigation,” the statement added.
The army said the operations reflect “the relentless commitment of the Nigerian Army to denying criminal elements freedom of action and ensuring the safety and security of law-abiding citizens across the country.”
It added: “The Nigerian Army remain resolute in sustaining aggressive operations against all forms of insecurity in line with the constitutional mandate of protecting Nigeria’s territorial integrity and national peace.”