The Nigerian Army said it has intercepted 85 bags of smuggled rice in a compound in Abor-Uwani community in Afikpo North Local Government Area of Ebonyi.
According to the Deputy Director, Public Relations of 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Col. Aliyu Yusuf, who made this known in a statement on Saturday, the raid was part of the ongoing “Exercise Atilogwu Udo 1’’.
He said that the smuggled bags of rice, which weighed 50kg each, were intercepted on Dec. 19 as a result of intelligence received by troops of Sector 6 (Abakaliki) of the exercise.
Yusuf said: “Troops on patrol following a tip-off from the Department of State Security (DSS) raided a compound where a Mercedes Benz truck loaded with 85 bags of suspected smuggled foreign rice was packed.
“This was in Abor-Uwani community in Afikpo North Local Government Area (LGA) of Ebonyi State.
“The suspects – Mr. Bartholomew Obioha Nwankwo, 49, and Mr. Nkama Agu, 57, – both from Unwana community in Afikpo North LGA were arrested in connection with the smuggled rice,’’ he said.
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The army spokesman added that the suspects, the truck, and the bags of rice had been handed over to the Ebonyi State Commissioner for Internal Affairs for further action.
In another development, Yusuf disclosed that troops in Sector 6 in conjunction with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) recently raided the hideout of suspected drug dealers in Abakaliki town.
He said five suspects were arrested while items recovered in the area included suspected wraps of Indian Hemp, tramadol, and cocaine among other things.
Furthermore, he said that a brown Mercedes Benz car with registration number Ebonyi NAC 399 AA was seized.
According to him, the suspects and exhibits have been handed over to the relevant security agency for further action.
