No fewer than 109 locally made guns and two AK 47 raffles were recovered during the Operation Crocodile Smile 4 in Cross River State, South-South Nigeria. A total of 35 suspected criminals were also arrested.
Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Tukur Buratai made this known at a camp fire night to mark the end of the Operation in Ikang, Bakassi Local Government Area of the State.
The Army chief who was represented at the event by the Commandant Amphibious Training School Calabar, Brigadier-General Joshua Nimyel, said the 35 arrests were made with two by two 7.62mm special ammunition, 345 cartridges, and one pump action also recovered within the period of the operations.
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He stressed that the determination of the soldiers helped to curtail threats in the area of armed banditry, kidnapping, cultism, and grossly reduced other forms of criminal activities in the 13 Brigade area of operation.
He commended sister agencies for working in synergy with the Army to make the engagement a success, saying the Operation Crocodile Smile 4 was slightly different from other operations with the introduction of the Super Camp concept, which was designed for self defence in force and attack in force
On his part, the Commander 13 Brigade, Brigadier-General Oluyemi Olatoye said that the operation was designed to enhance security in Cross River State, tackle banditry, cultism, kidnapping, communal clashes and other related crimes.
General Olatoye explained that the operation, which was expected to end on the 23rd of December, 2019 was extended to January 2020 to provide security for citizens, visitors and tourists, who were in different parts of the State during the yuletide.
