Troops of Operation Enduring Peace (OPEP) have arrested a dismissed police inspector suspected of operating a major interstate arms trafficking network and supplying weapons to criminal groups involved in terrorism, banditry and kidnapping.
According to a statement shared on the Nigerian Army’s Facebook page on Monday, the arrest was made during an intelligence-led operation conducted by troops of Sector 6 in collaboration with Headquarters Operation Enduring Peace in Plateau State.
According to military sources, the operation followed credible intelligence on the movement of illegal arms across state lines.
The suspect, identified as Inspector Danjuma Yusuf, a former officer of the Nigeria Police Force attached to Base 7 in Abuja, was reportedly intercepted on Sunday, June 14, while travelling in a white Peugeot vehicle from Jos South towards the Makera axis in Riyom Local Government Area.
It was gathered that troops had placed the suspect under surveillance before stopping and searching the vehicle at a military checkpoint in Makera.
Security personnel recovered two locally fabricated pistols, 167 rounds of 9mm ammunition, three cans of pepper spray and a jack knife.
Other items recovered from the suspect included two mobile phones, two cutlasses, a police staff identification tag, photographs showing him in police uniform, two ATM cards, a National Identification Number (NIN) card and ₦73,300 in cash.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect had been dismissed from the Nigeria Police Force and was allegedly involved in an interstate arms trafficking syndicate.
The military said intelligence gathered so far suggests that Yusuf played a key role in the supply of illegal weapons to criminal groups engaged in terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes in different parts of the country.
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The suspect is currently in military custody and undergoing further interrogation as investigators work to identify other members of the network, including collaborators, financiers and arms suppliers.
The Nigerian Army described the arrest as a major breakthrough in efforts to curb the proliferation of illegal firearms and dismantle criminal networks fueling insecurity across the country.
The military noted that disrupting the supply of weapons to criminal groups remains critical to ongoing operations against terrorism, banditry and kidnapping.
Operation Enduring Peace said the successful operation demonstrates the effectiveness of intelligence-driven military actions and inter-agency cooperation in combating organised crime.
The military reaffirmed its commitment to protecting lives and property and sustaining pressure on criminal elements threatening national security.
Residents were also urged to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies to support ongoing efforts aimed at restoring lasting peace and stability across the country.
