Troops arrest kidnap syndicate commander, recover rifles, cash

In Enugu State, troops from the 82 Division/Joint Task Force South East, operating under Operation UDO KA, have made an arrest and seized weapons and money from a suspected kidnapping syndicate. Lt. Col. Olabisi Olalekan Ayeni, the Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations for the 82 Division, revealed the arrest during a statement on Monday.

The suspect was apprehended during an intelligence-led operation in the Gariki General Area of Enugu, as part of efforts to dismantle a syndicate responsible for the kidnapping of two individuals in Udi LGA on August 2. The operation followed a previous encounter where troops neutralized one member of the syndicate and apprehended another, according to Ayeni.

The arrested suspect provided crucial information that led to the identification and arrest of the fleeing commander. Preliminary investigations suggest the suspect's involvement in multiple kidnapping activities across the South-East and North-Central regions. In addition to the detained commander, US$1,000, N785,900 and other incriminating items were recovered from him.

The troops tracked the suspect to the Umuchingu Ujenike Forest, where they found four AK-47 rifles, seven AK-47 magazines, and 133 rounds of 7.62mm Special ammunition. The suspect is now undergoing further interrogation to help apprehend other members and their associates. Operation UDO KA will continue its collaboration with other security agencies to maintain operations against criminal elements in the South-East.