Army removes police inspector over alleged arms supply to bandits

Troops of Operation ENDURING PEACE have detained a former police inspector who is alleged to have participated in an interstate arms‑trafficking network that operates across several states.

The arrest was announced in a statement posted on the Nigerian Army’s official page on 15 June 2026.

According to the statement, the suspect was seized during an intelligence‑driven operation carried out by troops from Sector 6 in partnership with the headquarters of Operation ENDURING PEACE, after reports of illegal arms movements across state borders.

The Army said the suspect was intercepted on Sunday, 14 June, while traveling in a white Peugeot from Jos South toward the Makera axis of Riyom Local Government Area in Plateau State.

A search of the vehicle uncovered two locally manufactured pistols, 167 rounds of 9 mm ammunition, three cans of pepper spray and a jack knife.

Additional items recovered from the suspect included two mobile phones, two cutlasses, a police staff tag, photographs showing him in police uniform, two ATM cards, a National Identification Number (NIN) card, and ₦73,300 in cash.

Preliminary investigations identified the suspect as Inspector Danjuma Yusuf, who was formerly attached to Nigeria Police Force Base 7 in Abuja and has since been dismissed from service.

The statement alleged that intelligence findings linked the suspect to an interstate arms‑trafficking syndicate that supplies weapons to criminal groups involved in terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes.

“Further intelligence indicates that the suspect is a key figure in an interstate arms‑trafficking syndicate, allegedly supplying weapons to criminal elements involved in terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes,” the Army said.

The Army added that the suspect remains in military custody and is undergoing further interrogation to identify other members of the alleged network, including financiers and supply channels.

The arrest is part of ongoing efforts to disrupt illegal arms trafficking and recover illicit weapons.

The Nigerian Army reaffirmed its commitment to working with other security agencies to tackle security threats and urged the public to continue providing credible information to support ongoing operations.