Army storms criminal hideout in Rivers, seizes weapons

The Nigerian Army has stormed a suspected criminal hideout in Rivers State. They recovered arms and ammunition during an operation led by troops from Sector 4, Joint Task Force South-East, Operation UDO KA.

This operation took place on July 23, 2026. It focused on a forest area at Awara Community Waterside in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area and along the Omoku, Ogbaku, Ndoni route in Rivers State.

The Nigerian Army believes this hideout was used by criminals to plan kidnappings and attack security forces and civilians.

In a statement shared on its X handle on Friday, the Army said this raid is part of its ongoing mission to break down criminal networks and bring peace back to the area.

"Acting on credible intelligence, the troops raided the forest enclave believed to have been used by criminal elements as a staging base for planning kidnappings and launching attacks against security personnel and innocent citizens," the Army stated.

During the operation, soldiers found one Lee-Enfield MK I rifle, one G3 rifle, 116 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition, and 13 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition.

The Army said the operation is still ongoing. Troops are working hard to clear the area of criminal activities completely.

"This latest recovery, the fourth successful seizure of illegal arms and ammunition by troops within the last two weeks, further demonstrates the effectiveness of intelligence-driven operations," the statement added.

The military noted that their continuous efforts have weakened the ability of criminal groups to operate easily. They also highlighted the need for cooperation between security agencies and the public.

"The Nigerian Army reiterates its unwavering commitment to sustaining aggressive and intelligence-led operations in collaboration with other security agencies until all criminal elements are denied safe havens and brought to justice," it said.

The Army also called on residents to keep providing timely and credible information to assist ongoing security operations across the South-East and the entire country.