Troops intercept IED components on Kaduna - Jos highway

By Imisioluwa Afunmiso

Troops of Operation ENDURING PEACE have intercepted a large amount of ammunition and suspected Improvised Explosive Device (IED) components along the Kaduna - Jos highway, in what security authorities describe as a major disruption of terrorist logistics operations.

The interception followed a stop and search operation conducted by troops deployed at Manchok and reinforced by a Special Forces Tactical Team.

According to a statement issued by the Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force, Captain Chinonso Polycarp Oteh, the troops flagged down a navy-blue Opel Wagon commercial vehicle with registration number NSR 154 TA Kano, conveying seven passengers near Boys Science Secondary School along the Manchok –Jos road in Kaduna State.

A thorough search of the vehicle led to the discovery of the ammunition concealed within it.

Items recovered include 569 rounds of 12.7mm anti-aircraft gun ammunition, several high-velocity warheads, and 189 empty shells of 7.62mm special ammunition.

The troops also recovered disused Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) handsets, which security experts say are commonly used as components in the fabrication of remotely detonated IEDs.

Preliminary interrogation revealed the driver of the vehicle, identified as Khalifa Bawa, claimed the items were a “waybill” consignment handed to him by an unidentified individual saying he had no contact details or information about either the sender or the intended recipient.

Security sources, however, described the claim as suspicious, noting that investigations are ongoing to unravel the network behind the movement of the arms.

All occupants of the vehicle have been taken into custody alongside the recovered items and the vehicle for further forensic examination and detailed investigation.

The military authorities stated that efforts are ongoing to trace the origin of the consignment and identify possible collaborators involved in the attempted transportation of the weapons across state lines.

The interception is part of ongoing efforts by security forces to curb the movement of illegal arms and dismantle supply chains aiding criminal and terrorist activities in the region.