Army, DSS Raid Kidnap Syndicate Hideout in Enugu, Nab Commander , Recover Four AK-47 Rifles, Cash
Troops of the 82 Division/Joint Task Force South East, Operation UDO KA, in collaboration with the Department of State Services (DSS), have arrested a suspected commander of a kidnapping syndicate and recovered four AK-47 rifles, seven magazines and 133 rounds of 7.62mm Special ammunition from a forest hideout in Enugu State.
The operation, according to a statement by the Acting Deputy Director Army Public Relations, 82 Division, Lt. Col. Olabisi Olalekan Ayeni, followed sustained intelligence efforts to dismantle a criminal syndicate linked to the abduction of two persons in Udi Local Government Area of the state on August 2, 2026.
The statement said the arrest came after an earlier operation in which troops neutralised one member of the syndicate and apprehended another suspect.
According to the Army, information obtained during the exploitation of the arrested suspect provided critical intelligence that enabled security forces to identify the fleeing commander and locate the group’s concealed arms cache.
Acting on the intelligence, troops intensified their operations in the Gariki General Area of Enugu State, where they tracked and intercepted the suspected commander as he attempted to flee the state.
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Preliminary investigations, the Army said, indicated that the suspect was linked to several kidnapping operations across the South-East and North-Central regions.
Items recovered from the suspect included $1,000, N785,900 in cash and other materials described by the Army as incriminating.
Further intelligence exploitation led troops to Umuchingu Ujenike Forest, where members of the syndicate had reportedly concealed their weapons.
During a follow-up operation, the troops recovered four AK-47 rifles, seven AK-47 magazines and 133 rounds of 7.62mm Special ammunition from the forest hideout.
The Army described the operation as another demonstration of the effectiveness of intelligence-led joint operations in disrupting organised criminal networks, denying them access to weapons and dismantling their safe havens.
It said the arrested suspect was undergoing further interrogation to facilitate follow-up operations aimed at apprehending other members of the syndicate and their collaborators.
The Joint Task Force, Operation UDO KA, alongside other security agencies, has reaffirmed its commitment to sustained intelligence-driven operations against criminal elements across the South-East.
The Army said troops would continue to pursue individuals and groups threatening the safety and security of residents while supporting efforts to create a secure environment for socio-economic activities across the region.
By PRNigeria
