Troops of Operation ENDURING PEACE (OPEP) have arrested a dismissed police inspector allegedly involved in an interstate arms trafficking network operating across parts of the country.
The suspect, identified as Danjuma Yusuf, a former inspector attached to Nigeria Police Force Base 7 in Abuja, was apprehended during an intelligence-led operation conducted by troops of Sector 6 in collaboration with the Headquarters of Operation ENDURING PEACE.
According to military authorities, the operation followed credible intelligence on the movement of illegal arms across state lines. Acting on the information, troops tracked the suspect as he travelled in a white Peugeot vehicle from Jos South towards the Makera axis of Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State.
He was subsequently placed under surveillance and intercepted at a military checkpoint in Makera on Sunday, June 14, 2026.
A search of the vehicle reportedly led to the recovery of two locally fabricated pistols, 167 rounds of 9mm ammunition, three cans of pepper spray and a jack knife. Troops also recovered two mobile phones, two cutlasses, a police staff tag, photographs showing the suspect in police uniform, two ATM cards, a National Identification Number (NIN) card and N73,300 in cash.
Military sources said preliminary investigations revealed that Yusuf had been dismissed from the Nigeria Police Force and was allegedly a key player in an interstate arms trafficking syndicate.
The sources further alleged that the suspect supplied weapons to criminal groups involved in terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes.
He is currently in military custody, where further interrogation is ongoing to identify other members of the network, including financiers, collaborators and arms suppliers.
The Nigerian Army described the arrest as a major breakthrough in efforts to curb the proliferation of illegal weapons and disrupt criminal networks threatening national security.
The military also urged members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies to support ongoing operations aimed at restoring peace and security across the country.