Troops from the 6 Brigade of the Nigerian Army have arrested four suspected Ambazonia separatist fighters, notorious for the illicit trade of firearms in Taraba State.
The arrest, which took place on December 18, 2024, followed a coordinated operation based on credible intelligence.
The army trailed the suspects to a hotel in Takum, and arrested them while they were allegedly exchanging firearms for cocoa with their Nigerian criminal collaborators.
Captain Oni Olubodunde, the spokesperson for the 6 Brigade Nigerian Army, confirmed the operation during a briefing on Saturday.
“On December 18, 2024, acting on credible human intelligence, troops tracked and apprehended four suspected members of the Ambazonia rebel group at a hotel in Takum,” he said.
“During initial interrogation, the suspects confessed to being part of the rebel group involved in arms proliferation in exchange for cocoa with their Nigerian collaborators,” Olubodunde stated.
He added that they recovered four mobile phones from the suspects, who remain in custody as investigations continue.
The arrest of the alleged gunners underscores the Army’s resolve to clamp down on criminal activities within the region.
Ambazonia separatists, who are fighting for a breakaway state in the English-speaking Regions of Cameroon, have been collaborating with Biafra separatists in south eastern Nigeria.
The governments of Cameroon and Nigeria have also agreed to jointly crush the rebels and stem transborder crime.
