Troops disrupt terrorist gathering, arrest arms smugglers in Yobe

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have foiled a suspected terrorist gathering and arrested five alleged arms smugglers in separate operations in Yobe State.

Security sources said troops launched a fire mission at about 6:21 p.m. on February 17 after receiving intelligence that insurgents were converging on motorcycles at Mangari, near the 135 Special Forces Battalion in Buratai. The action forced the fighters to disperse, disrupting their suspected plans.

In a separate operation, personnel of the Forward Operating Base in Potiskum arrested five suspected arms smugglers and abductors at about 4:30 a.m. on February 18 at a checkpoint along the Gombe–Potiskum road.

The suspects included Baba Abare, 41, who was allegedly found with an AK-47 rifle, as well as Idris Zakari, 33; Nasiru Aliyu, 25; Abdullahi Sulaiman, 35; and Mohammed Idris, 34, all reported to be residents of Potiskum.

Authorities said the suspects were intercepted in two Golf Wagon vehicles with registration numbers Borno NGL-506XA and Kaduna DKD16-01. They were disarmed and handed over to relevant authorities for further investigation.