The Defence Headquarters on Saturday said it arrested a Chadian, Usman Mecheka, operating with a terrorists group around the Lake Chad in Maiduguri, Borno State.
Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, Director of Defence Information, who made this known in a statement issued in Abuja, said the terrorist was apprehended by officials of the Multi National Joint Task Force.
According to the statement, Mecheka was arrested while trying to extract a ransom from herdsmen and farmers in the area, after an earlier attack on the community.
The statement further revealed that officials of the Special Task Force in Plateau State, have also raided a camp operated by armed gang in Shendam Local Government Area of the state.
According to the statement, a gun-fabricating machine, as well as some arms and ammunition, were recovered from the hideout during the raid.
“Also recovered during the raid were local single-barrel guns, pistols, an automatic rifle, bullet pellets and a large quantity of materials for producing gun powder’ he said. “The raid has equally yielded vital details to track down the operators of the gun-fabricating hideout who are now on the run. The area is also being combed in the search for similar criminal outfits”.
It added that the troops of the Special Task Force also successfully repelled an attack by a gang of cattle rustlers in Tanabu community in Barkin Ladi LGA of the state, adding that the rustlers invaded the community after a shootout.
The statement explained that the troops had the encounter with the rustlers when they responded to a distress call from herdsmen in the area.
It said one of the rustlers was killed in shootout while others fled as they were overpowered by the troops.
The statement also disclosed that eight persons were being interrogated after raids by troops of security agencies on joint surveillance and patrol missions in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“Most of those arrested are foreigners who were picked up around Kugbo and areas adjoining the Nyanya site of the recent bombings in the FCT” Olukolade said. “Those confirmed to constitute a threat to security will be handed over to appropriate agencies on conclusion of the preliminary investigations for prosecution”.
The statement said the Operation Restore Peace, currently operating in the North Central States, as part of efforts to stamp out the activities of armed gangs in the region has maintained its operational tempo.
If you wish to know how this story develops, use
Know more about this news? Update the info!