TheCable

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) says its troops have arrested 64 suspects who were planning to disrupt Independence Day celebrations in Abuja.

Nigeria’s Independence Day is marked on October 1 with activities in the federal capital territory (FCT) and across the country.

Musa Danmadami, the defence media operations director, in a briefing on Thursday said the suspects were arrested following intelligence gathered by the military.

He said the troops recovered nine locally made guns from the suspects who were dressed in “black attire.”

“All apprehended criminals were handed over to the Nigeria Police federal capital command for further action,” he said.

There was a bomb attack near Eagle Square, Abuja in October 1, 2010 when Nigeria marked its 50th independence anniversary.

Danmadami said 33 suspected illegal miners were also arrested at an illegal mining site at Gwagwalada area council of the FCT.

In another development, Danmadami said troops invaded a hideout of illegal drug dealers along Koroduma-Asokoro Guzape in Abuja and detained five suspects while seizing 11 bags of  suspected cannabis sativa.

Giving a brief on other operations across the country, Danmadami said troops of operation Whirl Stroke engaged in a gunfight with terrorists after raiding a suspected criminal hideout in Otukpa community of Ogbadibo LGA of Benue.

He said that the encounter led to the killing of two terrorists while others escaped with gunshot wounds.

A few hours after the gun battle, Danmadami said troops responded to a distress call about the activities of a bandit leader identified as Full Fire and his gang members at Zaki Ibiam and Zamkara in Ukum LGA, Benue.

He said three suspected bandits were arrested while items including one locally fabricated AK47 rifle, one round of 7.62mm special, one dane, two mobile phones and one motorcycle were recovered.

In a similar manner, he said two terrorists were killed and four terrorists arrested while recoveries of one AK47 rifle, three dane guns, one motorcycle, three mobile phones were made after a raid on suspected terrorists’ hideout in Awe LGA of Nasarawa.

Troops of operation Safe Haven, Danmadami said, raided a suspected drug dealers’ hideout at Mangu in Mangu LGA of Plateau.

He said the drug peddler was arrested with large quantity of substance suspected to be cannabis.

Four suspected armed robbers, Danmadami said, were arrested at Shaka village in Bassa LGA of Kogi and the troops recovered armoured cables suspected to have been stolen from government facilities.