Troops of the Nigerian Military have made a fresh discovery of a cache of firearms in Zamfara State in the course of their search for notorious bandit leader, Bello Turji.
Naija News reports the troops of 1 Brigade of the Joint Task Force Operation Fansan Yamma, in collaboration with operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), intercepted the cache of arms in the Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
According to a statement on Tuesday by the Coordinator Joint Media Coordinator Centre, Operation Fansan Yamma, Lieutenant Colonel Abubakar Abdullahi, the discovery was made during an operation conducted on Monday, January 27.
He disclosed that the operation was carried out based on intelligence regarding suspected arms dealers operating from the Niger Republic, which led the troops to launch a covert operation to track the suspects, resulting in a pursuit along the Kaura Namoda-Zurmi Road.
According to the statement, the suspects attempted to escape by diverting their vehicle into the bush but were forced to abandon it after being engaged by the troops.
“A subsequent search of the vehicle led to the recovery of the following items: 2x PKT machine guns, 9 x AK-47 rifles, 13x magazines, 171 x rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, and 9x rounds of PKT ammunition,” the statement read.”
Abdullahi added that the troops are still actively pursuing Turji and assured that despite evading capture by moving from one hideout to another, the bandit leader would soon be captured.
“The troops are actively pursuing the wanted terrorist Bello Turji, who remains at large, evading capture by moving from hideout to hideout.
“We assure the public that our troops are working tirelessly to apprehend him as part of our commitment to ensuring the safety and security of our communities.
“We deeply appreciate the public’s concern regarding this matter and urge locals to continue their support and cooperation by reporting any information that may assist in our efforts,” Abdullahi stated.