Nigerian Army says thursday’s operation of the military in Kpaidna community in Bosso Local Government Area of Niger helped save the lives of millions of Nigerians.

General Officer Commanding, 1 Division, Nigeria Army, Kaduna, Major-General Adeniyi Oyebade, made this known to newsmen in Minna after a fact-finding mission to the community.

The operation came about because of intelligence report about gunrunners, who have been bringing and selling crude and sophisticated weapons to robbery gangs, who have been terrorizing people.

Imagine if those weapons we recovered had been allowed to spread across the state and the country, many people would have been maimed.’’

He said although the lives of some soldiers were lost during the operation, the army would not be deterred and distracted in its resolve to rid the state and the country of criminal elements.

The GOC said the Nigeria military and security agents were working closely in their resolve to secure the country.

He said the joint operation of the security agencies in the state would not stop until the suspects are arrested and brought to book.

According to Oyebade, some of the items recovered from the suspects are three AK 47 rifles, ten locally made AK 47 rifles, nine local made pistols, six revolvers, 45 dane guns, ten clubs and cudgels, 41 sets of bow and arrows and 20 daggers.

Other items recovered are ten Bajaj motorcycles, 15 catapults, four empty cases of ammunition and 41 cartridges.

Six operational vehicles of the army were destroyed in the incident.

The cordon-and-search operation, which initially involved the army and the air force, has been expanded to include the police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Department of State Security.