The Anambra State-backed Agunechemba Security Squad says it has dismantled suspected gunmen’s camps in Orumba North and Orumba South Local Government Areas, recovering a cache of sophisticated weapons, including two General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs) and locally fabricated rocket launchers, in what authorities described as a major breakthrough against criminal gangs operating in the state.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the outfit’s Publicity Secretary, Mr. Nweke Nweke, the recovered rocket launchers were subsequently handed over to the Nigerian Army as part of ongoing collaboration between state and federal security agencies.
According to the statement, the operation followed days of intelligence gathering, surveillance and undercover missions conducted across key security flashpoints in Anambra South Senatorial District, where security forces have intensified efforts to dismantle criminal hideouts linked to armed gangs.
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Nweke said the operation demonstrated Agunechemba’s growing operational capacity under Anambra State’s homeland security initiative and reflected the outfit’s commitment to restoring peace in communities affected by violent crime.
The security outfit disclosed that the formal handover of the recovered weapons took place on Saturday at the Office of the Director of Operations in Awka and was led by Chief Chinenye Ihenko, who represented the Governor’s Special Adviser on Community Security, Kenneth Emeakayi.
During the ceremony, Ihenko described the transfer of the weapons as evidence of the strong partnership between Agunechemba and the Nigerian Army in tackling insecurity across the state.
He said the successful operation ranked among the outfit’s most significant achievements, noting that operatives encountered armed resistance but emerged without casualties.
Ihenko also commended Governor Chukwuma Soludo for providing logistical and operational support that has enabled the security outfit to intensify operations in areas previously affected by criminal activities, particularly Orumba North, Orumba South, Ihiala and Ogbaru local government areas.
He urged residents to continue supporting security agencies by providing credible information capable of preventing criminal activities.
The statement further disclosed that the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, praised Governor Soludo for strengthening community-based security initiatives through Agunechemba and reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to working closely with the outfit and other security agencies to combat violent crime in Anambra State.
Also speaking, the Commander of the 302 Artillery Regiment (General Support), Onitsha, Colonel Buteus Yakubu, represented by Lieutenant P.O. Idowu, applauded the growing collaboration between the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Police Force and Agunechemba.
The event concluded with the formal presentation of the recovered General Purpose Machine Guns and a locally made rocket launcher to the Nigerian Army, underscoring the expanding cooperation between state-backed security outfits and federal security agencies in addressing insecurity across Anambra.
