Four alleged members of the Ambazonia rebel organisation have been arrested by troops of the 6 Brigade Nigerian Army/Sector 3 of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), in Taraba State.
The troops recovered pipes allegedly stolen by the suspects from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited in the state.
The Brigade’s acting spokesperson, Captain Oni Olubodunde, told reporters in Jalingo, the state capital, on Saturday that the suspects were taken into custody in Takum Local Government Area on December 18, 2024.
“During preliminary interrogation, the suspects confessed to being involved in arms proliferation, exchanging weapons for cocoa with Nigerian collaborators,” the statement read.
The suspects, who are still being held pending further investigation, had four cell phones on.
In a different operation, a truck with registration number WKR 66 BB Taraba State, carrying 19 stolen NNPCL pipes, was monitored and stopped by troops in Natilde community, Bantaji District, Wukari Local Government Area.
Eleven more stolen pipes were recovered in the joint operation with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Wukari Division.