Troops of 63 Brigade/Sector 1, Joint Task Force (JTF) South-South, Operation DELTA SAFE, have successfully dismantled a criminal gang and recovered a cache of arms and ammunition in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State.
The operation led to the arrest of two suspected cultists following credible intelligence on their illicit activities around Ibusa.
According to a statement by Acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations for 63 Brigade, Captain Iliyasu Bawa-Rijau, weapons recovered from the suspects included two pump-action rifles, while an additional three rifles were seized from local vigilantes.
A follow-up operation at Umuisiagba yielded a further eight pump-action rifles, bringing the total recovered firearms to 13. In all, 13 suspects were apprehended, including Nwaokonta Elvis, Obi Victor Woke, Uba Elijah, Nonso Ibiora, Dumbili Ezefili, Ndefu Ifeanyi, Ozemene Richard, Broderick Patrick, Nwaokonta Afamefile, Kelvin Ejiani, Victor Ogochukwu, Ogadi Kelvin Ikechukwu, and Ndibuisi Obiogonna, identified as a native doctor. All suspects and recovered weapons have been handed over to the appropriate authorities for further investigation.
Commander of 63 Brigade, Brigadier-General MA Shonibare, commended the troops for their vigilance and urged them to clamp down on all criminal networks in the region. “We will continue to prioritise the safety of lives and property across Delta State and its environs,” he assured residents.
