By Theophilus Onojeghen
The Nigerian Army has reportedly uncovered a cache of arms, hard drugs and illegal brothels during the ongoing demolition of structures at the popular Effurun Mammy Market in Uvwie, Delta State.
Security sources told NIGER DELTA TODAY Online that about 40 AK-47 rifles and other ammunition were allegedly recovered during the exercise, while some persons, including market leaders, were reportedly arrested.
The sources said the demolition followed intelligence reports linking parts of the market to suspected vandals allegedly responsible for repeated attacks on electricity transmission infrastructure along the Sapele-Effurun-Ughelli corridor.
The operation reportedly came after the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) sought Federal Government intervention over attacks on national grid infrastructure, prompting the Office of the National Security Adviser to direct action to address the security concerns.
At least six illegal brothels were also reportedly demolished during the exercise, while drugs were allegedly recovered from structures within the market.
Those arrested were said to be undergoing interrogation at the 63 Brigade of the Nigerian Army in Asaba
A security source said suspected vandals used the area as a hideout after dismantling components of transmission towers, adding that the location’s association with military barracks allegedly made it difficult for other security agencies to operate there.
“The location is just right behind the Mammy Market. That is where those hotels are, inside the Mammy. That is where they hide after vandalising those high-tension rods,” the source said.
The source alleged that the vandalism of transmission infrastructure had intensified in recent months, with several towers along the corridor reportedly damaged.
The affected structures were identified as towers T9, T10, T11, T12, T14, T15, T16, T17 and T18, located around the Effurun axis.
According to the source, some of the towers had been weakened after suspected vandals allegedly removed components, leaving them vulnerable to collapse.
On August 8, 2026, one of the national grid towers collapsed while a vandal was dismantling the components and died on the spot.
The source also linked the damage to electricity supply challenges, explaining that replacement components were difficult to obtain and repairs could take months.
The military operation reportedly followed the issuance of eviction notices to traders and other occupants of the affected area.
The source, however, said the exercise was primarily a demolition operation, not a raid on traders, adding that occupants were allowed to remove their belongings and leave.
The source expressed concern that some suspected scavengers might move to a nearby dumpsite and scrap market, warning that the demolition alone might not end the alleged vandalism if other locations continued to provide cover for criminal activities.
Another top security source, who confirmed the development, however, urged the Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, to close the scrap market opposite the Mammy Market, stressing that some of the vandals were moving there.
“When you hear the national grid is down, it is because of actions like this. So there is a need for the scrap market to be scrapped. Otherwise, they are all relocating to this scrap market and the vandalism will continue.
“The state government should close down that scrap market because nothing good comes of a scrap market. They called those scrap markets, one Niger, one Sambisa. If anything enters there, within five minutes, they have dismantled the whole thing. So, it is the responsibility of the state government to close it down”, the source stated.
The source further stated that most of the scraps sold to the operators of the scrap market were stolen from national infrastructure by the vandals.
However, thousands of distraught civilians living within the Effurun military barracks have lamented the development.
They stated that the military action has left them homeless and without means of livelihood, claiming that some of them have been living in the area for years.
Meanwhile, efforts to speak with the Commander of the 63 Brigade of the Nigerian Army in Asaba, Brigadier General Ibrahim Baba Buhari, on the arrest and discovery of the arms proved abortive at the time of filing this report.
