The Police have arrested three arms dealers in Plateau and Imo States during a crackdown on illegal weapons trafficking, leading to the recovery of firearms, magazines and ammunition.
The Plateau Police Command identified one of the arrestees in state, 40-year-old Yakubu Danladi, who was said to have admitted to having a locally fabricated AK-47-style rifle and reportedly identified the individual who supplied the weapon.
Acting on information obtained from Danladi, detectives expanded their investigation and tracked down a second arms dealer, 19-year-old Abdulsalam Hassan, who was subsequently arrested.
The security agency hinted that Hassan confessed to serving as a middleman in the sale of firearms, connecting suppliers with prospective buyers, after which a search was conducted at his residence leading to the recovery of a Type 06 rifle, two magazines and 29 rounds of ammunition.
Commenting on the breakthrough on Thursday, a police source said the arrests underscored the command’s commitment to curbing the proliferation of illegal arms.
The source disclosed that every illegal firearm recovered is a step toward making the communities safer as it remain committed to identifying those involved in arms trafficking and bringing them to justice.
Furthermore, the source disclosed that the matter has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for an extensive probe and to identify other individuals linked to the suspected arms trafficking network.
Meanwhile, Plateau State Commissioner of Police, Bassey Ewah, warned the residents against engaging in the illegal possession, sale or transfer of firearms.
Ewah mentioned that the act remains a serious threat to public safety and nyone involved in such activities should desist immediately, as the command will continue to pursue offenders,” Ewah said.
He added that the command would continue to deploy intelligence-driven operations across the state to strengthen security and safeguard lives and property.
In another incident of unlawful possession of firearm, troops of Operation UDO KA have disrupted a criminal logistics network in the South East, arresting a suspected armourer and recovering a cache of weapons during an intelligence-led operation in Imo State.
The operation led to the recovery of one AK-47 rifle, one M4A1 carbine, one M16A2 rifle, six magazines, five pump-action guns, a locally fabricated pistol, and a large quantity of assorted ammunition.
The raid took place in the early hours of yesterday, along the Akpe Aggah–Egbema Forest axis, where soldiers of the 34 Artillery Brigade under the Joint Task Force South East apprehended the suspect believed to be a logistics kingpin.
Preliminary findings revealed that the suspect served as the principal armourer for a criminal group responsible for attacks on oil installations and security forces in the Ohaji–Egbema area.
The Army on Thursday stated, “The recovery represents a major disruption to the group’s operational capability and logistics chain.” The suspect is currently in custody and will undergo further investigation to facilitate follow-on operations aimed at dismantling other members of the network.
Reassuring citizens, the Nigerian Army emphasized its commitment to sustaining aggressive operations against criminal elements threatening national security and economic assets, urging the public to provide timely and credible information through established security channels.