The Kogi State Government has announced the interception of a large cache of arms and ammunition allegedly destined for criminal elements, saying the operation has frustrated plans by bandits and other criminal groups to launch retaliatory attacks within the state.
This was disclosed in a Statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo.
According to the statement, the breakthrough was achieved through a coordinated operation involving local security operatives under the state’s security architecture, the Hybrid Forces operating under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the Department of State Services (DSS), and the 12 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, acting on credible intelligence.
The government disclosed that security agencies received intelligence on the movement of arms and ammunition intended for criminal elements operating in and around Kogi State.
The intelligence identified a Golf 2 vehicle allegedly being used to transport the weapons, prompting a cross-border surveillance operation in collaboration with the Sokoto State Government and security agencies in the state.
The Statement added that the operation led to the arrest of three suspects in Sokoto State after more than two weeks of covert surveillance.
“Acting on information obtained from the suspects, security operatives intercepted the weapons consignment and impounded the Golf 2 vehicle in Kabba, Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State. Recovered items include two AK-47 rifles, several AK-47 magazines, 67 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, two pistols, 12 rounds of small ammunition, and military uniforms suspected to have been intended for criminal operations,” it said.
The government said intelligence reports indicate that the weapons were being procured by criminal groups seeking to replenish their depleted stockpile after suffering significant setbacks from sustained security operations, including the elimination of notorious bandit leader Kachalla Ibrahim Battijo following his failed attempt to kidnap students of Government Secondary School, Iluke Bunu, on June 10, 2026.
“This successful interception demonstrates that the government remains several steps ahead of criminal networks seeking to threaten the peace and security of Kogi State,” the government stated, adding that intelligence-led operations have continued to frustrate efforts by fleeing criminals to regroup and procure arms to attack communities in the state.
The state government commended the DSS, the Hybrid Forces under Office of the National Security Adviser, officers and men of the 12 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, local security operatives, and the Sokoto State Government for their professionalism and cooperation.
It also praised the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for strengthening the nation’s security architecture and supporting ongoing efforts to combat insecurity in the country.
Reaffirming its commitment to sustaining the fight against crime, the government assured residents that there is no cause for alarm, stressing that security agencies have intensified surveillance operations across strategic locations in the state.
“Kogi State is not and will never be a safe haven for terrorism, banditry, kidnapping or any form of criminality,” the government said, urging citizens to remain vigilant and continue providing credible information to security agencies.
