In a significant boost to internal security operations, troops of Operation Enduring Peace have foiled the movement of heavy ammunition and suspected Improvised Explosive Device (IED) materials in Kaduna State.
The breakthrough occurred at about 11:45 a.m. on Thursday, April 16, 2026, during a precision stop-and-search operation conducted by vigilant troops deployed at Manchok and reinforced by a Special Forces Tactical Team along the Kaduna–Jos highway.
Security sources said the troops intercepted a navy-blue Opel Wagon commercial vehicle with registration number NSR 154 TA (Kano), conveying seven passengers, near the Boys Science Secondary School axis along the Manchok–Jos road.
A thorough search of the vehicle led to the discovery of a large cache of ammunition concealed within it. Recovered items included 569 rounds of 12.7mm anti-aircraft ammunition, several high-velocity warheads, and 189 empty shells of 7.62mm special ammunition.
Further checks also uncovered a number of disused Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) handsets, which security experts say are commonly adapted as triggering devices in the construction of remotely detonated IEDs.
During preliminary interrogation, the driver of the vehicle, Khalifa Bawa, reportedly attempted to dissociate himself from the consignment, claiming it was a “waybill” delivery handed over by an unidentified individual.
He was, however, unable to provide credible details regarding the sender or the intended recipient of the items.
All occupants of the vehicle have since been taken into custody alongside the recovered exhibits, as troops intensify investigations to uncover the source of the weapons and dismantle the wider network behind the attempted movement of the dangerous materials.
Military authorities described the interception as a major disruption of suspected terrorist logistics within the Joint Operations Area, noting that efforts are ongoing to trace the origin and destination of the shipment.
The operation underscores the heightened vigilance of troops and their sustained commitment to denying criminal and terrorist elements the freedom to operate across key transit routes.
