Troops under Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) have arrested 18 soldiers and 15 police officers for allegedly engaging in the illegal sale of arms to terrorists and criminal groups, the military has announced.
Speaking to journalists in Maiduguri on the progress of security operations in the North-East, the Theatre Commander, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, represented by his Staff Officer, Administration, Major Ademola Owolana, detailed the arrests made as part of Operation Snowball, an anti-arms trafficking initiative launched in August 2024.
According to Owolana, the operation was carried out in 11 states: Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Ebonyi, Enugu, Lagos, Plateau, Kaduna, Rivers, Taraba, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
In addition to the military and police personnel, eight civilians and one traditional ruler were apprehended.
Among those arrested is Ameh Raphael, an armourer attached to the 7th Division Garrison, who has allegedly been involved in the illicit arms trade since 2018.
Owolana disclosed, “Ameh Raphael, an armourer of the 7th Division Garrison, who has been engaging in the act since 2018, had N45 million in his bank account.”
Another suspect, Seidi Adamu, from the 3rd Division Ordnance Services, was said to have joined the illegal business in 2022, and was found with N34 million in his bank account.
“Seidi Adamu of the 3rd Division Ordnance Services, who has also been in the trade since 2022, had N34 million in his bank account,” Owolana stated.
The investigation further uncovered that N135 million had passed through the account of Enoch Ngwa, a police inspector also implicated in the arms racketeering operation.
“Investigation revealed that N135 million passed through the bank account of Enoch Ngwa, a police inspector, arrested for arms racketeering,” Owolana added.
The military has not yet disclosed when the suspects will be arraigned, but emphasized that the crackdown is part of a broader effort to dismantle internal security threats and sabotage within the armed forces and police.
