Troops of the Nigerian Army's 12 Brigade intercepted two suspected terrorist logistics couriers on April 20, 2026, along the Obajana–Kabba road in Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi State. Acting on credible intelligence, soldiers set up a snap checkpoint and stopped a Toyota bus travelling from Makurdi to Obajana. A search of the vehicle led to the arrest of Mallam Zubairu Abubakar and Adamu Abubakar Abdullah. Authorities recovered a sack containing 314 rounds of 7.62mm (Special) ammunition and three AK-47 rifle magazines hidden behind the driver's seat. Additional items seized include mobile phones and identification documents.
This operation follows a previous interception on March 29, 2026, along the Jamata–Owara road, where troops arrested Mathew Elisha, also known as Nasara, a suspect on a security watch list. He was found using a motorcycle modified with a concealed compartment for smuggling ammunition. Preliminary findings linked him to known terrorist elements, prompting follow-up operations. The Army confirmed that all suspects and recovered materials have been handed over for further investigation. According to Lieutenant Hassan Abdulahi, Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations 12 Brigade, the operations are part of ongoing intelligence-driven efforts to disrupt terrorist logistics networks in the region.
The Army highlights two arrests in Kogi within three weeks, yet both operations relied on prior intelligence rather than spontaneous detection, raising questions about the sustainability of such gains without deeper intelligence infrastructure. Mallam Zubairu Abubakar and Adamu Abubakar Abdullah were intercepted moving 314 rounds of ammunition on a public bus, exposing how easily weapons material can be transported across state routes. Mathew Elisha's use of a modified motorcycle weeks earlier suggests a recurring tactic that security forces are merely reacting to, not preventing. Nigerians using these roads remain vulnerable to the same networks the Army says it is dismantling.
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