Troops of Operation Enduring Peace have raided a clandestine arms manufacturing site in Plateau State, arresting two suspects and recovering rifles alongside equipment allegedly used for the production of illegal weapons.
The military disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday by Captain Chinonso Polycarp Oteh.
According to the statement, the operation was carried out at about 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday in Gwandanu Village, where the suspects were reportedly caught while fabricating firearms.
The army described the raid as a major breakthrough against the proliferation of illicit weapons and criminal activities in the area.
Items recovered from the site included two AK-47 rifles, one G3 rifle, generating sets, a welding machine, a drilling machine, a hand filer and a technical toolbox allegedly used for illegal arms production.
In a related operation in Kaduna State, troops deployed at Gidan Waya responded to an attack on Forest Guards and members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria.
The statement said troops, working with Forest Guards, pursued the attackers toward the Jaginde Forest axis.
It added that the suspects abandoned a motorcycle and fled into the bush on sighting advancing troops, while one suspect was later apprehended.
A subsequent search of the hideout reportedly led to the recovery of an AK-47 rifle, an AK-49 rifle, a motorcycle and a sleeping mat.
The military said all arrested suspects are in custody and undergoing investigation to determine the scope of their activities and possible links to wider criminal networks.
It added that mop-up operations had been intensified in the affected areas as part of ongoing efforts to restore peace and improve security.
