Suspected gunmen fled their hideouts in Anambra State after operatives of the Agunechemba Security Squad raided camps in Orumba North and Orumba South Local Government Areas, recovering sophisticated weapons, including two General Purpose Machine Guns and locally fabricated rocket launchers.
The Publicity Secretary of the security outfit, Nweke Nweke, disclosed the development in a statement issued on Sunday, describing the operation as a major breakthrough in the state’s campaign against criminal activities.
According to him, the successful raid followed days of intelligence gathering and undercover operations carried out across key security flashpoints in the Anambra South Senatorial District.
He explained that the recovered rocket launchers had been handed over to the Nigerian Army, while noting that the operation underscored the growing collaboration between Agunechemba and federal security agencies in tackling insecurity.
Nweke also revealed that the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, commended Governor Chukwuma Soludo for supporting the operations of the Agunechemba Security Squad and reaffirmed the Army’s commitment to strengthening its partnership with the outfit and other security agencies in combating crime across the state.
The recovered weapons were formally presented to the Nigerian Army on Saturday at the office of Agunechemba’s Director of Operations in Awka during a ceremony led by Chief Chinenye Ihenko, who represented the Governor’s Special Adviser on Community Security, Kenneth Emeakayi.
Speaking at the event, Ihenko described the handover as a demonstration of the strong working relationship between the state security outfit and the military, stressing that sustained collaboration remained vital to restoring peace in troubled communities.
He said the operation marked one of Agunechemba’s most significant successes against criminal elements, adding that operatives completed the mission without recording any casualties despite coming under attack.
According to him, the gunmen abandoned their weapons and fled with injuries after encountering the security team during the operation.
Ihenko praised Governor Soludo for providing the support that had strengthened the outfit’s operations, saying the intervention had enabled security operatives to reclaim areas previously occupied by criminal groups, particularly in Orumba North, Orumba South, Ihiala and Ogbaru local government areas.
He appealed to residents to continue supporting security agencies with useful information, noting that the fight against insecurity required the cooperation of all stakeholders.
Also speaking, the Commander of the 302 Artillery Regiment (General Support), Onitsha, Col. Buteus Yakubu, represented by Lt. P. O. Idowu, lauded Agunechemba for the successful operation and praised the collaboration between the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Police Force and the state security outfit.
The ceremony concluded with the formal transfer of the recovered weapons to the Nigerian Army in the presence of Agunechemba officials, military personnel and members of the Anambra State House of Assembly.