The service said the troops acted on Intelligence and conducted a rigorous stop-and-search operation to uncover the ammunition.
According to a statement on Monday by the Director, Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, a total of 18,000 cartridges and an additional 250 packets of live (black) cartridges containing 10 packets each were intercepted.
The statement read, “Troops of 192 Battalion Nigerian Army operating in 81 Division Area of Responsibility busted an international ammunition smuggling syndicate while transporting a truckload of smuggled ammunition to Anambra State on Saturday, July 15, 2023.
“The troops, who acted on actionable Intelligence conducted a meticulous and rigorous Stop and Search operation along Ajilete-Owode Road in Yewa North LGA of Ogun State and uncovered the illegal ammunition in a truck with Registration number ENU 697 XY, loaded with 720 packets of Red Star Cartridges of 12 Calibre, containing 25 cartridges per packet, totalling 18, 000 cartridges and an additional 250 packets of live (black) cartridges containing 10 packets each, totalling 2500 cartridges of the same calibre.”
He said two suspects were arrested and are in the Army’s custody.
Onyema said, “The suspects, identified as Mr. Eric Seworvor, a Ghanaian national, and the driver, Mr. Lukman Sani, have been taken into custody and are helping with ongoing investigations.”
He added that from a preliminary investigation done by the troops, the suspects beat several checkpoints.
Onyema said, “Information gathered during preliminary investigation revealed that the ammunition, which was surreptitiously concealed in a supposed empty truck was imported from Mali, via Idiroko International Border, where the criminals had successfully beaten several other checkpoints en route their final destination in Onitsha, Anambra State, where they intended to deliver the illegal ammunition. Timely intervention by the vigilant troops however thwarted the chaos that such a volume of ammunition would have unleashed on innocent members of the public, if the criminals had succeeded.”
He appealed to citizens to support the troops and other security agencies with credible information, as they combat security challenges across the country.
