The Army in Damaturu, Yobe State on Tuesday set ablaze nine vehicles containing smoked fish worth several millions of naira.
The exercise was done at the new army barracks in Damaturu on Potiskum Road.
Briefing reporters before the exercise, the Commander Sector 2 Operation Lafiya DOLE, Brig.-Gen Ibrahim Sallau said the smoked fish were intercepted by troops of 159 Battalion Geidam on October 4 at Bukarti in Yunusari Local Government Area of the state.
Brig. Gen. Ali also disclosed that the smugglers were coming from Diffa, Niger Republic en-route Hadeja, Jigawa State before they met their Waterloo at Bukarti.
He noted that fish business in the theatre has been banned as, according to him, insurgents are using it to fund their activities, adding that security operatives will descend heavily on anyone caught in the business within the theatre.
He said, “I want to most sincerely welcome you all to the destruction/burning of seized contraband smoked fish intercepted at Bukarti in Yusufari Local Government Area of Yobe State, by troops of 159 Batalion Geidam, Sector 2 Operation Lafiya Dole on Friday 04 October 2019.
“The illegal fish smugglers brought the contraband item from Diffa in Niger Republic enroute Hadeja in Jigawa state. The smoked fish were neatly concealed in bags of corn chaff loaded in nine vehicles. The arrest and destruction/burning of all items placed on ban across the theatre of Operation Lafiya Dole will be a routine activity in compliance with the Federal Government directives against trans-border smuggling.
“I also want to use this opportunity to warn groups and individuals involved in the smuggling of all items listed as contraband across the Theatre Operation Lafiya Dole, especially within Sector 2 Area of Responsibility to desist from such acts,” the sector commander said.
There were many unanswered questions: what is going to happened to the people that were caught with the fish?
Why were the vehicles burnt alongside with the fish?
The Sector Commander with his officers including solders stayed to watch as the smoked fish and the vehicles were exhaustively burnt to ashes before he left the scene.