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Twelve suspects have been arrested by the Nigerian Army in connection with acts of terrorism carried out by a breakaway group of the boko-haram insurgents known as Mahmuda which reportedly occupied the Kanji Lake National Park.
The group had before now allegedly maimed, exploited, terrorised and took advantage of residents of neighbouring border communities in the Baruten and Kaiama Local Government Areas of Kwara and Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.
The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 2 Division, Major General Obinna Onubogu stated this during a visit to the camps in Kaiama and Baruten local government areas of Kwara state to have first hand information on the operation.
Major General Onubogu explained that the twelve suspects arrested were picked up by the military at various locations in the raid of the Kanji Lake National Park and the border communities.
He noted that two of those arrested were said to be confirmed members of the arm bandit group while others were accomplices in the criminal act.
“The counter insurgency operation code named ‘Park strike four’ is meant to among other things flush out the bandits and clear the Kanji lake national park of all criminal tendencies”.
The GOC gave the assurance that the men and officers deployed for the operation would not rest on their oars to restore sanity at the park and raise the hope of the people around the area.
He said, through the raid operation, the troops have successfully combed a distance of at least 90kilometres from Kemanji into the Kanji forest where its firm base is currently situated.
General Onubogu noted that the mission was already being accomplished as the bandits were successfully being dislodged.
Following the orders of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. General Olufemi Oluyede, the 2 Division of the Nigerian Army had since deployed troops to comb the border communities in Kwara and Niger States as well as the Kanji lake forest for the unwanted elements taking arms against innocent citizens of Nigeria.
BY ABDULLAH AHMED
