Troops of Operation ENDURING PEACE have dismantled an illegal arms manufacturing hub in Plateau State and intercepted armed suspects in Kaduna State.
The operations disrupted what officials describe as a growing local weapons pipeline sustaining insecurity across the North-Central region.
The operations, conducted on 22 April, were confirmed in a statement issued by the Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force, Operation ENDURING PEACE, Captain Chinonso Polycarp Oteh.
He said; “the actions formed part of a coordinated effort targeting both arms production sites and active threats within the joint operations area.”
According to the statement issued by the Media Information Officer, Joint Task Force Operation ENDURING PEACE, Captain Chinonso Polycarp Oteh, troops in Langtang North Local Government Area of Plateau State raided a clandestine fabrication site in Gwandanu Village, arresting two suspects caught in the process of producing firearms, while recovering a cache of weapons and industrial equipment used in illegal arms manufacturing.
Recovered items include two AK-47 rifles, one G3 rifle, generating sets, welding and drilling machines, and a technical toolbox.
In a related operation, the Media Information Officer, Joint Task Force Operation ENDURING PEACE, Captain Chinonso Polycarp Oteh, stated that troops deployed at Gidan Waya in Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State responded to an attack on Forest Guards and members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria, pursuing suspected assailants toward the Jaginde Forest axis.
The Media Information Officer, Joint Task Force Operation ENDURING PEACE, Captain Chinonso Polycarp Oteh said that one suspect was arrested after the attackers abandoned a motorcycle and fled upon contact with advancing troops near Ungwar Maruwa.
Further search operations of identified hideouts, according Captain Oteh, led to the recovery of additional weapons, including an AK-47 rifle, an AK-49 rifle, and other logistical items linked to the fleeing suspects.
He noted that the arrested suspects are currently in custody undergoing investigation to determine the scope of the network, including possible distribution channels and links to wider criminal syndicates operating across the region.
He further indicated that “troops have intensified mop-up operations across the affected areas to recover remaining locally fabricated weapons and track other fleeing members of the criminal network.”
The statement emphasised that the operations reflect the ongoing commitment of Operation ENDURING PEACE to restore stability by targeting the sources of armed violence and dismantling the structures enabling criminal activity.
The Joint Task Force also called on members of the public to provide timely and actionable intelligence to support ongoing security efforts within the operations area.