Troops of Operation ENDURING PEACE (OPEP) have arrested a dismissed police inspector suspected of playing a major role in an interstate arms trafficking network linked to violent criminal groups across Nigeria.
The suspect, identified as Danjuma Yusuf, was apprehended during an intelligence-led operation carried out by troops of Sector 6 in collaboration with the Headquarters of Operation ENDURING PEACE in Plateau State.
According to a statement released by the Nigerian Army on Sunday, the operation was launched following credible intelligence reports concerning the movement of illegal weapons across state boundaries.
Security operatives reportedly tracked Yusuf while he was travelling in a white Peugeot vehicle from Jos South Local Government Area towards the Makera area of Riyom Local Government Area. After being placed under surveillance, he was intercepted at a military checkpoint in Makera.
A search of the vehicle allegedly uncovered two locally made pistols, 167 rounds of 9mm ammunition, three cans of pepper spray and a jack knife.
Military authorities also recovered several other items from the suspect, including two mobile phones, two cutlasses, a police identification tag, photographs showing him in police uniform, two ATM cards, a National Identification Number (NIN) card and ₦73,300 in cash.
The Army said preliminary investigations identified Yusuf as a former inspector attached to Police Base 7 in Abuja who had previously been dismissed from the Nigeria Police Force.
According to security sources, intelligence gathered so far suggests that the suspect may be a key member of an interstate arms trafficking syndicate accused of supplying weapons to criminal groups involved in terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent activities.
The Army stated that Yusuf remains in military custody and is undergoing further interrogation as investigators work to uncover the full extent of the network, including its financiers, collaborators and weapon supply channels.
Military authorities described the arrest as a significant breakthrough in ongoing efforts to curb the proliferation of illegal firearms and dismantle criminal networks operating across different parts of the country.
The Nigerian Army reiterated its commitment to working with other security agencies to combat threats to national security and protect lives and property.
It also urged members of the public to continue providing timely and credible intelligence that could assist security forces in identifying and disrupting criminal operations nationwide.
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