IN RIVERS: Army raid 4 cultists’ camps, recover DSP Alkali, orderly’s guns, uniforms

PORT HARCOURT—The Nigerian Army, in an operation carried out in four camps operated by cultists in Uju community, Ogba Egbema Ndoni Local Government Area, River State, recovered one AK-47 assault rifle and uniforms belonging to DSP Mohammed Alkali and his police orderly, allegedly beheaded by cultists. General Officer Commanding 6 Division of the Army, in Port Harcourt, Major General Kasimu Abdulkarim, told newsmen, yesterday, at the 6 Division, Port-Harcourt, that the military operation was conducted, weekend, in conjunction with men from his Division and the Special Boat Services/Air Component of Operation Delta Safe. Recovered: The weapons and uniforms recovered. He recalled that DSP Mohammed Alkali and his orderly were among 15 persons murdered in the community in the last one month with several others kidnapped by the cultists. General Abdulkarim told newsmen that some of the cultists may have died during the raid, since they jumped into the river while the operation was on, adding that nine suspects were arrested and handed over to police for necessary action. He gave a breakdown of weapons recovered during the raid to include “one AK-47 rifle, two G3 rifles, five double-barrelled guns, two pistols, 31 empty AK-47 magazines, 242 rounds of 7.62mm NATO and 322 rounds of other ammunition.” He said the clean-up operation will continue in the local government to completely rid the area of cultists and brigands, adding that it will be extended to other areas in the state with similar security challenges. General Abdulkarim further appealed for timely information from the public to aid the success of the clean-up.