Troops of Sector 4, Joint Task Force South-East, Operation UDO KA, have recovered arms and ammunition during an intelligence-led operation against suspected criminal elements in Rivers State.
The Nigerian Army said the operation was conducted in the early hours of July 23, 2026, at a suspected criminal hideout located at Awara Community Waterside along the Omoku–Ogbaku–Ndoni axis in Rivers State.
According to the Army, the operation followed credible intelligence that the forest enclave was being used by criminal elements as a staging base for planning kidnappings and launching attacks on security personnel and residents.
Items recovered during the raid included one Lee-Enfield MK I rifle, one G3 rifle, 116 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition and 13 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition. Troops are continuing clearance operations to rid the area of criminal elements.
The Army said the latest recovery is the fourth successful seizure of illegal arms and ammunition by troops operating in the South-East within the last two weeks, describing it as evidence of the effectiveness of intelligence-led operations and improved collaboration with other security agencies and members of the public.
It added that the sustained offensive has continued to weaken criminal networks and reduce their capacity to threaten lives and property.
The Nigerian Army reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining aggressive operations against criminal elements and urged residents to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies to support ongoing efforts to restore lasting peace and security.
