JTF arrests foreigners,uncovers missiles, grenades

Culled from punch
Four foreign nationals, suspected to have
hailed from Middle East, were arrested in
Kano by the Joint Task Force over a large
cache of arms and ammunition uncovered
in their mini-warehouse located in the
Bompai area of Kano on Wednesday.
Following the shock discovery, owner of
the complex, where the dangerous weapons
were impounded, simply identified as a
Lebanese national, was arrested by
military personnel.
As of the time of filing this report, the
building, located on Gaya road in Bompai
area of the metropolis, was under
surveillance by heavily armed, stern-
looking soldiers.
Security sources disclosed that items
recovered from the extensive operation
included 40 air-to-surface missiles, 50
cluster bombs, 200 rocket-propel
launchers, eight AK-47 rifles, 200
military hand grenades and some military
hardware capable of destroying Armoured
Personnel Carriers.
The "weapons of war" were said to have
been evacuated to the headquarters of the
3rd Motorised Brigade of the Nigerian
Army, Kano, alongside the foreign
nationals.
It was learnt that preliminary
investigation had begun while "three
countries have been indicted and the
military high command is working to
ascertain the culpability."
A resident of the area, said he counted
over "300 AK-47 riffles" during the
evacuation.
Spokesman for the JTF Captain Ikedichi
Iweha, promised to brief newsmen later on
the issue, even as he declined comment on
the incident, which occurred on Tuesday
night.
"You would get the details tomorrow
(Thursday) because of the Democracy Day
celebration. We have resolved to talk to
you after the break," he said.
According to him, as a result of the
Democracy Day celebration, security was
fortified in the commercial city of Kano,
with increased vehicular patrols by the
military, JTF operatives and the police,
as part of the measures to sustain
relative peace in the city.
Meanwhile, the JTF has arrested 50
terror suspects in Borno State with the
aid of special dogs, says the Director of
Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. Chris
Olukolade.
Olukolade said in a statement on
Wednesday that the terror suspects were
arrested with the help of specially
trained dogs while trying to infiltrate
Maiduguri.
The Defence spokesman said 15 of those
arrested were caught with arms concealed
either in their bodies or their
properties.
He said various attempts by terror
suspects, who were dislodged from their
camps in the forest in Borno to enter the
cities and towns of the North-East, had
been thwarted with the aid of the dogs
Olukolade said, "Trained Military Police
dogs are participating in the cordon and
search phase of special operations
against terrorism in the country.
"The efforts of the specially trained
dogs have so far led to the arrest of
over 50 terrorists who were trying to
infiltrate Maiduguri."