By Stephen Adeleye
Lokoja, Dec. 16, 2025 (NAN)
In a significant blow to organized crime, Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Ododo, has announced the recovery of a massive and sophisticated arsenal of weapons from criminal hideouts. The discovery is the result of a decisive, week-long joint security operation, marking a pivotal moment in the state’s security strategy.
Governor Ododo made the disclosure at a press conference on Tuesday at the Government House in Lokoja, framing the operation as the direct outcome of sustained, intelligence-driven surveillance. This operation highlights a critical shift in modern security tactics: moving from reactive responses to proactive, intelligence-based dismantling of criminal networks before they can strike.
“Security operatives executed a coordinated overnight raid that uncovered a major criminal enclave where this significant stockpile was concealed,” Ododo stated. He noted that while no arrests were made during the raid—suggesting the hideout was a storage facility rather than an active camp—the seizure itself represents a strategic and major breakthrough. Depriving criminal elements of their tools of violence disrupts planned attacks, reduces their operational capacity, and can lead to valuable forensic intelligence from the recovered items.
The scale and variety of the cache are particularly alarming, pointing to a highly equipped and potentially well-funded criminal enterprise. The recovered items include:
- High-Powered Rifles: 24 AK-47 rifles, 23 pump-action rifles, one Tavor rifle (a modern, selective-fire assault rifle), and one FN rifle.
- Pistols and Specialized Weapons: Four Barrett pistols and four Browning rifles.
- Ammunition and Components: 42 magazines, 520 rounds of GPMG 7.62mm ammunition, large quantities of AK-47 ammo, cartridges for pump-actions and Barrett pistols, and submachine gun (SMG) components.
- Tactical Gear: Handcuffs, 13 holsters, and tear gas cartridges—items indicative of kidnapping operations or intent to impersonate security personnel.
Governor Ododo contextualized the security challenge by highlighting Kogi State’s unique vulnerability. “The persistence of criminal activities is partly due to Kogi’s strategic geography,” he explained. The state shares boundaries with ten other states and serves as a critical transit corridor between the North and South of Nigeria, featuring multiple entry and exit routes that criminals exploit for movement and escape.
In a firm declaration of resolve, the Governor stated, “Kogi is fully alert. The DSS, the police, the military, the navy, and all other security agencies are working relentlessly. We will never bow to criminals, and we will never negotiate with them.” He issued a direct appeal to residents, urging them to become active participants in community security by providing timely, accurate, and credible information to the authorities—a cornerstone of effective counter-insurgency and crime-fighting.
The governor revealed that the operation’s intensity was galvanized by a recent meeting with President Bola Tinubu. “When I met Mr. President, I expected commendation, but he told me to go back and do more for my people. That statement re-energized me,” Ododo shared. This presidential charge led to an immediate regrouping with security agencies, a harmonization of strategies, and the decisive action based on the gathered intelligence.
Ododo expressed gratitude for the collaboration of federal security agencies, specifically commending the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), the Service Chiefs, the Inspector-General of Police, and the leadership of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Concluding with a message of assurance, Governor Ododo urged residents not to panic, emphasizing that the situation is under control. He advised citizens to go about their lawful businesses without fear, reaffirming his administration’s unflinching commitment to safeguarding lives and property across Kogi State. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
ASA/CHOM
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Edited by Chioma Ugboma
