Troops of Operation ENDURING PEACE (OPEP) have recorded a major breakthrough in the fight against illegal arms proliferation with the arrest of a suspected interstate arms trafficker identified as a dismissed police officer during an intelligence-led operation in Plateau State.
The operation, conducted on Sunday, June 14, 2026, followed credible intelligence on the movement of illicit weapons across state lines. Troops of Sector 6, working in collaboration with Headquarters Operation ENDURING PEACE, swiftly launched a coordinated operation that led to the interception of the suspect along the Makera axis of Riyom Local Government Area.
The suspect, who was travelling in a white Peugeot vehicle from Jos South towards Makera, was placed under surveillance before being apprehended at a military checkpoint. A thorough search of the vehicle resulted in the recovery of two locally fabricated pistols, 167 rounds of 9mm ammunition, three cans of pepper spray and a jack knife.
Security personnel also recovered two mobile phones, two cutlasses, a police staff tag, photographs of the suspect in police uniform, two Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards, a National Identification Number (NIN) card and cash amounting to N73,300.
Preliminary investigations identified the suspect as Inspector Danjuma Yusuf, formerly attached to Nigeria Police Force Base 7, Abuja, who had been dismissed from service.
Military sources disclosed that intelligence gathered so far indicates that the suspect is a key figure in an interstate arms trafficking network allegedly responsible for supplying weapons to criminal groups involved in terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes across the country.
The suspect is currently in military custody, where further interrogation is ongoing to unravel the full extent of the syndicate, including its financiers, collaborators and weapons supply channels.
The arrest is considered a significant blow to illegal arms trafficking operations and highlights the effectiveness of ongoing intelligence-driven military operations aimed at curbing the proliferation of illicit weapons and enhancing security across the country.
The Nigerian Army reaffirmed its commitment, alongside other security agencies, to protecting lives and property while sustaining offensive operations against criminal elements threatening national security. The military also urged members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to assist security forces in dismantling criminal networks and restoring lasting peace in affected communities.
