Two officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and one officer of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) have been arrested over their alleged involvement in supplying arms and ammunition to militants and other criminal elements operating in Nigeria’s South-East.
The arrests were carried out by troops of the Joint Task Force South East under Operation Udoka during an intelligence-led operation aimed at dismantling illegal arms trafficking networks in the region.
According to military authorities, the operation followed the arrest and interrogation of a suspected criminal, who allegedly identified an NSCDC armourer attached to the Enugu State Command as one of his major suppliers of firearms and ammunition.
Acting on the intelligence, security operatives tracked down and arrested the suspects, including two NSCDC personnel and one officer of the Nigerian Correctional Service. Preliminary investigations indicate that the suspects are believed to have supplied weapons to militants and other criminal groups responsible for insecurity in parts of the South-East.
During the operation, troops reportedly recovered two Dane guns, one locally fabricated pistol, six live cartridges, military webbing, a woodland camouflage jacket, a strike-face metal plate, an axe, and substances suspected to be cannabis.
Military authorities said the arrests represent a significant breakthrough in ongoing efforts to combat the illegal proliferation of arms and dismantle criminal networks operating in the region.
They added that investigations are still ongoing to determine the full scope of the alleged arms supply network and identify any additional suspects who may have been involved.
The authorities emphasized that the suspects remain under investigation and are expected to face prosecution if sufficient evidence is established. They also reiterated their commitment to strengthening security operations across the South-East and bringing anyone involved in aiding criminal activities to justice.
