Troops Bust Interstate Arms Trafficking Network, Arrest Dismissed Police Inspector in Plateau

By Zainab Uzomah|Abuja

Troops of Operation ENDURING PEACE (OPEP) have arrested a dismissed police inspector allegedly linked to a major interstate arms trafficking syndicate, recovering ammunition, weapons and other incriminating items during an intelligence-led operation in Plateau State.

The suspect, identified as Danjuma Yusuf, a former inspector attached to Nigeria Police Force Base 7 in Abuja, was intercepted by troops on Sunday while allegedly transporting illegal weapons through Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State.

Military authorities said the breakthrough followed credible intelligence on the movement of illicit arms across state lines, prompting a coordinated operation by troops of Sector 6 in collaboration with the Headquarters of Operation ENDURING PEACE.

According to the military, Yusuf was placed under surveillance while travelling in a white Peugeot vehicle from Jos South towards the Makera axis of Riyom before he was stopped at a military checkpoint in Makera.

A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of two locally fabricated pistols, 167 rounds of 9mm ammunition, three cans of pepper spray and a jack knife.

Troops also recovered two mobile phones, two cutlasses, a police staff identification tag, photographs of the suspect in police uniform, two ATM cards, a National Identification Number (NIN) card and N73,300 in cash.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect had been dismissed from the Nigeria Police Force and was allegedly a key figure in an interstate arms trafficking network.

Security sources said intelligence gathered so far suggests that Yusuf may have been supplying weapons to criminal groups involved in terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes across parts of the country.

The suspect remains in military custody as investigators work to unravel the full extent of the syndicate, including its financiers, suppliers and other collaborators.

Military authorities described the arrest as a significant blow to illegal arms trafficking operations and a major step toward curbing the proliferation of illicit weapons fueling insecurity in the country.

They reiterated the commitment of the Nigerian Army and other security agencies to sustaining intelligence-driven operations aimed at dismantling criminal networks and safeguarding lives and property.

The military also appealed to members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies to support ongoing efforts to combat crime and restore lasting peace in affected communities.