Military nabs 33 soldiers, policemen for selling arms to terrorists
In a major crackdown on internal arms trafficking, troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) have arrested 33 security operatives—comprising 18 serving soldiers and 15 police officers—over alleged involvement in the illegal sale of weapons to terrorists and criminal groups.
The announcement was made in Maiduguri by the Theatre Commander of OPHK, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, represented by the Staff Officer, Administration, Major Ademola Owolana. According to him, the arrests were part of Operation Snowball, a covert mission launched in August 2024 to dismantle arms smuggling networks operating within the military and police ranks.
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The exercise, which spanned 11 states—including Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Ebonyi, Enugu, Lagos, Plateau, Kaduna, Rivers, Taraba, and the Federal Capital Territory—also led to the arrest of eight civilians and one traditional ruler.
Among the high-profile suspects is Ameh Raphael, an armourer with the 7th Division Garrison, who had reportedly been involved in arms racketeering since 2018 and had a staggering ₦45 million in his bank account. Another military officer, Seidi Adamu from the 3rd Division Ordnance Services, was said to have ₦34 million linked to similar activities since 2022.
Additionally, investigators uncovered that a police inspector, Enoch Ngwa, had facilitated arms transactions amounting to ₦135 million through his personal bank account.
Authorities say the arrests mark significant progress in sanitizing the security forces and weakening the supply chain of arms fueling insecurity across Nigeria.
By PRNigeria
