Troops of Operation ENDURING PEACE (OPEP) have recorded a significant breakthrough in the fight against illegal arms trafficking with the arrest of a suspected high-profile arms dealer allegedly linked to an interstate weapons smuggling network in Plateau State.
The operation, carried out on June 14, 2026, followed credible intelligence on the movement of illicit arms across state boundaries. Acting on the intelligence, troops of Sector 6, working in collaboration with the Headquarters of Operation ENDURING PEACE, launched a coordinated operation that led to the suspect’s arrest.
Military sources said the suspect was travelling in a white Peugeot vehicle from Jos South towards the Makera area of Riyom Local Government Area when he was identified, placed under surveillance and intercepted at a military checkpoint in Makera.
A search of the vehicle reportedly uncovered 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 identification tag, photographs of the suspect in police uniform, two ATM cards, a National Identification Number (NIN) card and N73,300 in cash.
Preliminary investigations identified the suspect as Inspector Danjuma Yusuf, a dismissed officer formerly attached to Nigeria Police Force Base 7 in Abuja.
According to security sources, intelligence gathered so far suggests that Yusuf played a key role in an interstate arms trafficking syndicate allegedly responsible for supplying weapons to criminal groups involved in terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes.
The suspect is currently in military custody and undergoing further interrogation as investigators seek to uncover the full extent of the network, including its financiers, collaborators and weapons supply routes.
Security officials described the arrest as a major setback for illegal arms trafficking operations in the region and a testament to the effectiveness of ongoing intelligence-driven military operations aimed at curbing the proliferation of illicit weapons.
The Nigerian Army reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with other security agencies to protect lives and property while sustaining operations against criminal elements threatening national security. The military also urged members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to support efforts to dismantle criminal networks and restore lasting peace across the country.
