The Nigerian Army has intercepted a truck loaded with thousands of live cartridges at Ajilete-Owode Road in the Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State.
It was learnt that the truck was intercepted during a stop and search operation along the road.
The truck, exhibit and suspects were heading to Onitsha, Anambra State, southeast Nigeria, while the exhibit was conveyed through Idiroko international border and concealed in a truck.
The Army in a signal obtained by SaharaReporters on Monday, noted that the truck was carrying 720 cartons of red star live cartridges of 12 calibre containing 25 cartridges each, 250 packets of live cartridges of pellets (black) containing 10 cartridges each of the same calibre.
According to the signal, two suspects arrested were identified as Mr. Eric Sewirvor, a Ghanaian citizen and Mr. Lukman Sani from Ogun State.
The signal reads; "SPECIAL SITREP. AT AS 150400A JUL 23. ARREST OF AMMO/ SUSPECTS. OWN TPS LED BY OWN SUNRAY CONDUCTED STOP AND SEARCH OPERATION ALONG ROAD AJILETE - OWODE IN YEWA NORHT LGA AND INTERCEPTED A TRUCK WITH A NO PLATE ENU 697 XY LOADED WITH 720 CTNS OF RED STAR CART OF 12 CALIBER CONTAINING 25 CART EACH (18,000 CARTS), 250 PARKETS OF LIVE CARTS OF PELLETS BLACK CONTAINING 10 CARTS EACH (2500 CARTs) OF SAME CALIBER.
"THE VEHICLE, THE EXHIBIT AND SUSPECTS WAS HEADING TO ONITSHA ANAMBRA STATE. THE EXHIBIT WAS CONVEYED FROM MALI VIA IDIROKO INTL BORDER IN A WELL CONCEALED EMPTY TRUCK.
"THE 2 X SUSPECTS MR ERIC SEWORVOR AGE 32 A GHANA CITIZEN WHILE THE DRIVER MR LUKMAN SANI AGE 42 FROM ADO ODO OTA LGA OF OGUN STATE. THE ARRESTED SUSPECTS CLAIMED THEY WERE HEADING TO ONITSHA ANAMBRA STATE TO DELIVER THE EXHIBIT WHERE THE OWNER RESIDES.
"ITEMS RECOVERED FM THEM INCL 1 X TECNO AND 1X ITEL GSM PHONES, ECOWAS ID CARD BELONGING TO MR ERIC FROM GHANA, 125,000 CFA, 245,100 NIG CURRENCY AND 60 GHA CEDIS ONLY. THE SUSPECTS/EXHIBIT ARE CURRENTLY IN OWN CUSTODY AWAITING FURTHER DIR.
"CONSEQUENTLY 1 X 7.62MM SP WAS EXPENDED WHILE FORCING THE SUSPECTED TRUCK TO STOP WHILE TRYING TO ESCAPE THE CP. TPS MORALE AND FIGHTING EFFICIENCY REMAIN SATISFACTORY. PSE ACK SIR///
"THE ARREST OF THE CARTs IS COMMENDABLE. THE EXHIBIT CAME INTO NIGERIA VIA THE IDIROKO INTL BORDER.
"THE EXHIBIT PASSED THROUGH 15 CUSTOM CPs, 10 POLICE CPs AND SEVERAL SY AGENCIES CPs UNIDENTIFIED, WITH ASSUMPTIONS THAT THE TRUCK WAS EMPTY.
"THE OWNER OF THE EXHIBIT RESIDES AT ANAMBRA STATE.”
"THE AMMOs HEADING TO SOUTH EAST NIGERIA COULD BE USED BY IPOBs TO PERPETRATE THEIR ACT.
"ATTENTION SHOULD BE PAID TO ALL EMPTY TRUCKS PASSING CPs," it added.