Army engages militia in Nasarawa, recovers weapons

An Army operation in Nasarawa state, Operation While Stroke, has engaged in a cross fire with Bassa militia groups at Zwere camp in Toto Local Government Area of Nasarawa state, as they recovered 45 assorted weapons and 701 different categories of ammunitions. Commander of the operation, Major Gen Adeyemi Yakini, made these known while presenting the items recovered to journalists at the state NUJ secretariat in Lafia, the state capital Adeyemi, explained that his men at Ugya in Toto LGA of the state ambushed the suspected militia element, in the fire exchange, where the militia escaped but with gun wounds. His words: “We were able to trace these armed men to their camp at Zwere within Toto local government area two days back we began the raids operation around 3:00 hour, yesterday and continued 10:00 hour in the morning. “These are the weapons and ammunitions recovered: 39 locally made rifles; 3 local pistols and 1 SMG, 62×7.62mm special rounds, 72×7.62mm NATO rounds, 510x 9mm round of ammunitions and 57 x cartridges. 100.9mm pistol links, 5 G3 rifle magazines and 4 Revolvers cartridge holders. Which made a total of 45 assaulted weapons and 701 assorted ammunitions recovered” he stressed. According to him, the operation while stroke is an international force that came on board about 8 months ago with the mandate to put an end to the incessant killings by armed herdsmen, militia groups and other criminal elements operating in Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba States. Adding that the force has also conducted series of operations across the three States and have made recoveries of arms and ammunitions and even arrested some suspects. Augustine Kuza, Lafia