In a major operation, Nigerian Army troops successfully captured two homemade Artillery Projectile Launchers from the Indigenous People of Biafra and Eastern Security Network (IPOB/ESN) fighters in Anambra. The troops also arrested an insurgent and seized ammunition, mobile phones, and suspected drugs.
Simultaneously, troops from the 34 Artillery Brigade raided an oil thieves’ hideout in Imo State, confiscating equipment including a crude oil oven, reservoirs, pipes, mobile phones, and more. They also uncovered and destroyed an illegal crude oil refining site, with sizable quantities of stolen crude oil.
Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of Army Staff, reaffirmed the army’s commitment to maintaining peace and security, urging the public to provide vital information to enhance ongoing security efforts.
This is revealed in a Tuesday statement by the Director of Army Public Relations Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu.
Part of the statement reads: “In the operation, one combatant of the dissident group was arrested and several items, including 48 rounds of 7.62 mm NATO ammunition, 4 mobile phones, one handheld communication radio and substance suspected to be cannabis, among others were recovered by the troops.”
“In a separate operation on the same day, troops of 34 Artillery Brigade conducted an offensive operation against oil thieves in Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State. “
“Troops recovered several items from the camp, including one crude oil cooking oven, three reservoirs, several connecting hoses and pipes, three mobile phones, one Power Generating set, 3 Pumping machines, one CCTV Camera mounted on a tree top, substance suspected to be cannabis and some fetish objects.”
“Same troops, in a similar operation conducted the same day, uncovered and destroyed an illegal refining site, operating with several drums and crude oil ovens, laden with stolen crude oil, a dug out pit containing about 50,000 litres of crude oil and 57 sacks of illegally refined automation gas oil.”
“Surprisingly, the sacks of illegally refined products were surreptitiously concealed in a community health centre at Egbema Shell and Egbema West respectively in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State.”
