Troops arrest criminal informant in Taraba

Troops of the Nigerian Army arrested a criminal informant while he was trying to set up an assassination in Taraba State.

According to a statement signed by the Director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Texas Chukwu, on Monday, April 9, 2018, the informant was arrested after he was overheard informing someone on the phone about a target to be assissinated.

The statement read, "Troops of 93 Battalion Takum while conducting EXERCISE AYEM AKPATUMA on Sunday 8 April 2018, following a tip off arrested a criminal informant trying to identify person to be eliminate in a vehicle along road Takum-Chanchangi in Taraba State.

"The suspect was heard by a commuter talking to one Mallam Musa Ibrahim to identify the person to be eliminated for reason base known to him. The information was secretly revealed to troops, thereby trailed the vehicle and arrest the informant."

The suspect has confessed to operating as an informant to criminals in the general area to perpetrate criminal activities.

Exercise Ayem Akpatuma

To combat growing unrest in the country amid a spate of worrying criminal activities, the Army launched Exercise Ayem Akpatuma in Benue, Taraba, Kogi, Nasarawa, Kaduna and Niger in February 2018.

While the exercise was intended to run until March 31, 2018, it has been extended for two more months in Taraba state to further consolidate on the gains achieved and facilitate the Army's effort of ridding the affected areas of militants and other criminal elements.

During the operation, troops engage in raids, cordon and search operations, road blocks, show of force and checkpoints to combat criminal activities.