Guber Polls: Troops Arrest 25 Armed Thugs, Recover Weapons in Rivers, Kwara, Lagos, Says DHQ

Recover 62 AK-47 rifles from Boko Haram, ISWAPKingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) said yesterday that troops arrested 25 armed thugs and recovered weapons in Rivers, Kwara and Lagos States during the just concluded March 18 governorship election.

At a media briefing in Abuja, the Director of Defence Media Operations (DDMO), Maj Gen Musa Danmadami, said the arrests reduced the scale of violence that would have taken place as well as the relative peace enjoyed during and after the elections.

He said prior to the elections all the issues raised about trouble spots across the country were addressed and nipped in the bud.

“That is why we did not see widespread violence during and after the elections,” he said.

He stated that all political thugs arrested by the troops and seized weapons were handed over to the Nigeria Police for further action.

On the ongoing military operations in the country, Danmadami disclosed that in the past two weeks, both kinetic and non-kinetic operations were conducted in the various theatres of operations by the troops with significant results recorded.

He affirmed that 27 terrorists were neutralised in fierce encounters at various locations with the troops between March 9 and 23, while more than 46 AK-47 rifles were recovered from Boko Haram and Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP) within the period under review.

He said troops recovered 16 AK47 rifles, 1 x 60mm mortar bomb, 10 dane guns, 12 dummy rifles, one pump action gun, one PKT gun, 280 rounds of 7.62mm special.

Others include 118 rounds of 7.62 x 50mm NATO, 13 rounds of 5.56mm ammo, 10 rounds of 7.62 x 54mm NATO ammo, one round of 12.7mm NATO, 17 AK47 magazines, one firing pin, one mechanic tools box, two knives, six motorcycles, 24 mobile phones, 41 livestock and assorted food items and one vehicle.