Three trucks fully loaded with thousands of live cartridges was intercepted by the Nigerian Army at a village located in Igbogila-Ilara area of Ogun State.
The live cartridges were carefully concealed and sealed in boxes made up of a wooden platform with metallic plates. The drivers of the trucks and passengers on sighting the troops abandoned the trucks and fled.
The Army in a statement signed on Friday by Acting Deputy Director, 81 Division Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Om Daudu, said the operation was carried out following a tip-off.
“Following a tip-off received from well-meaning Nigerians during anti-illegal bunkering, anti-pipeline vandalism and anti-smuggling patrols, on May 30, 2018 at about 2:58am, troops of 81 Division Nigerian Army in conjunction with The Nigeria Police, Department of State Security, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps intercepted three 5-ton trucks with vehicle registration numbers: ANAMBRA AAH 409 ZV, LAGOS BDG 782 XU and LAGOS GGF 88 XU loaded with thousands of live cartridges, at Balogun village, along Igbogila-Ilara road, Ogun State,” the statement read in part.
No arrest has been made, as the statement said further that, “the drivers and their crew on sighting troops abandoned their trucks and fled.”
The troops are, however, on the trail of the fleeing drivers, their crew, corroborators and sponsors and an investigation is currently ongoing into the incident.
