Troops of 6 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Jalingo, Taraba State, have arrested eight members of a syndicate conveying petrol worth N19.3 million to Amazonia rebels in the Republic of Cameroun.
The acting director, Public Relations Department of 6 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Jalingo, Lieutenant Oni Olubodunde, noted in a statement that the suspects were arrested at the border between Nigeria and Cameroon.
“In a significant covert operation driven by actionable intelligence and extensive surveillance, troops of the Nigerian Army deployed for counterterrorism operations along the Nigeria-Cameroon border in Taraba State have successfully intercepted and apprehended eight members of a syndicate that specialises in smuggling fuel from Nigeria to the Ambazonian rebels in the Republic of Cameroon to facilitate terrorists’ activities,” the statement noted.
According to him, the suspects were caught en route the border with a large quantity of fuel.
He said that during preliminary investigation, the culprits confessed to smuggling and selling fuel to the Cameroonian Ambazonian rebels, who are prohibited from entering Nigeria to purchase the product directly.
He said the suspects revealed that they previously bought fuel from Gassol and Bali local government areas at the rate of N950 per litre.
“However, they discovered that in Takum Local Government Area, fuel was sold at N800 per litre, prompting them to source for the product in Takum.
“At the time of their arrest, the suspects were travelling in three J5 vehicles, carrying 605 jerry-cans, each with a capacity of 40 litres, totaling 24,200 litres of fuel. The fuel, valued at N800 per litre, amounts to a total worth of N19,360,000,” he said
Lieutenant Oni further said the operation that led to the arrest of eight syndicates marked a significant step in curbing the illegal supply of resources to terrorist groups and enhancing regional security.
