THE Joint Task Force (JTF) Operation Flush Out 3 on Monday uncovered a new cache of arms and ammunition in Okochiri, which used to be Tom Ateke�s den.
An illegal pipeline leading to his personal jetty was also discovered.
The two discoveries are coming on the heels of the abduction of a six-year-old in Port Harcourt.
A military operation to the Evil Forest in Okochiri, Okirika Local Government Area of Rivers State, recovered a cache of arms and ammunition, which was delivered to the Senate President, David Mark and the Rivers State governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi.
The two were at the scene when a total of 13,694 ammunition for different calibre of weapons and 28 magazines for different weapons were recovered.
Also discovered was an underground illegal petroleum pipeline used to siphon petroleum products from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) refinery in Eleme to the private jetty of Tom Ateke.
The pipeline, according to investigation, supplies the illegal bunkering activities of Ateke and his men.
Meanwhile, Nigerian Tribune gathered that six-year-old Prite Anthony, a pupil of IBCF School, Woji in Port Harcourt, was abducted yesterday morning around the D/Line area of the city.
According to a source, she was abducted by armed men who drove in a Benz 190 when she was being taken to school. It was learnt that the hoodlums had not made contact with the girl�s parents at the time of filing this report.
A top source in the State Security Service (SSS) confirmed the development to the Nigerian Tribune in Port Harcourt yesterday, saying that not much was known yet about the incident.
Meanwhile, reports said that the two sons of Nwuzi, Godswill and Wisdom, are still being held hostage even as it is being rumoured that their father might have been compelled to part with some money as ransom for their release.
It was learnt that the kidnappers had demanded N40 million, but the politician had been able to cough up N1.5 million to the criminals. They, however, refused to release either of the children to him.
Efforts to confirm this story from him yielded no result as his phone was switched off when the Nigerian Tribune tried to reach him yesterday.
A top SSS source, however, doubted the report of ransom payment. According to the source, �the children have not been released�, adding, when asked about ransom payment, �I am not aware that a dime has been paid as ransom.�