By Muslimah Ibrahim
The Nigerian Army says it has arrested several high-profile terror suspects, recovered a cache of ammunition, and secured the surrender of insurgents in a series of coordinated operations across the country.
A military source told the News Agency of Nigeria that the operations, conducted between October 7 and 9, targeted terrorists, kidnappers, and arms traffickers in Akwa Ibom, Borno, Kaduna, and Niger States.
According to the source, troops of the 2 Brigade, working with the Department of State Services, arrested a notorious kidnap kingpin, Emmanuel Akpan, at a hideout in Eket, Akwa Ibom. Akpan, linked to multiple abductions along the Oron–Ibaka corridor, is now in DSS custody.
In Borno, troops of 196 Amphibious Battalion apprehended an ISWAP logistics courier in Baga while he attempted to infiltrate the town. Preliminary findings showed he operated between terrorist cells in Chad and Niger.
Also in Kaduna, soldiers intercepted two men transporting 1,307 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition from Plateau to Zamfara, while in Niger State, three ISWAP members — including a woman — surrendered to troops in Bosso, citing hunger and intense military pressure.
Troops also intensified anti–oil theft operations in Rivers, Delta, Imo, Ebonyi and Plateau, dismantling illegal refineries and recovering more than 6,600 litres of petrol and several boats used for smuggling.
The Army source reaffirmed the force’s commitment to “denying terrorists freedom of action and creating safe conditions for peace and development.”
