Arms warehouse hidden in a busy tunnel in Maiduguri, Borno State, has been uncovered, as troops of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) took custody of a massive cache of high-calibre ammunition concealed inside a drainage channel in the Bulumkutu Railway area.
The discovery, security officials say, “is the product of sustained military pressure and intelligence-driven follow-up operations aimed at choking off terrorist logistics in the North-East.
The operation unfolded at about 3:00 p.m. on January 2, when troops received an urgent distress call reporting suspicious metallic objects hidden within a drainage channel near the railway corridor.
Accordingly, OPHK troops mobilised to the scene, joined by Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams to secure the area and assess the threat.
It was discovered that buried inside the drainage channel were 1,270 rounds of 12.7mm ammunition warheads, including several live rounds, along with concealed power banks items security sources say point to deliberate stockpiling rather than accidental abandonment.
Troops swiftly secured the site and established safety perimeters, while technical teams began efforts to drain the channel to determine whether additional dangerous items remained hidden underground.
The area has since been placed under tight security control, with soldiers working alongside police and other agencies to prevent any attempt by criminal or terrorist elements to retrieve the recovered cache, according to the military.
Despite the severity of the find, no casualties were recorded, and officials confirmed that the general security situation in the area remains calm.
Military authorities say the recovery highlights the effectiveness of intelligence-led operations, sustained troop presence and growing cooperation between security forces and local communities.
They stressed that timely information from residents played a decisive role in preventing what could have escalated into a major security incident.
Headquarters Operation HADIN KAI has again urged members of the public to remain alert and promptly report suspicious objects, movements or activities, warning that terrorist networks often rely on concealment within civilian spaces to stage attacks.
