The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Ebonyi State Command, has dismantled a hideout used by a criminal syndicate terrorizing communities along the Ebonyi-Benue border.
The high-stakes raid by operatives of the command, which dismantled a key operational base for hoodlums and cultists around Izzi Local Government Area, followed weeks of intelligence gathering and tracking by security personnel.
Briefing newsmen on the crackdown on Thursday at the Command Headquarters in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State Commandant, Francis Nnadi, revealed that the operation was executed with precision by a joint team comprising the Command’s Intelligence and Investigation Department and the Commandant’s Special Squad.
Although the suspects fled into surrounding bush paths as operatives closed in, a thorough sweep of the syndicate’s enclave yielded the discovery of arms and dangerous items, including one AK-47 assault rifle, one double-loaded magazine, four rounds of live ammunition, one locally made pistol, one pump-action shotgun, five tactical combat knives, and assorted criminal charms.
Reading the riot act to criminal networks seeking to exploit border terrains, Commandant Nnadi declared Ebonyi State an absolute no-go zone, particularly as political activities heat up.
“I want to warn criminal elements ahead of the general elections to flee Ebonyi State.”
“The Command, in conjunction with sister security agencies, is fully prepared to rid the state of all forms of crime and criminality. Residents of our border communities and the entire state can rest assured of robust, non-stop security coverage before, during, and after the elections,” Nnadi declared.
Commandant Nnadi urged members of the public to remain vigilant and maintain a steady flow of credible intelligence to aid law enforcement.
A massive manhunt is currently underway across adjacent forests and neighboring communities to track down the fleeing syndicate members and bring them to justice.
