By Harriet Tornguvan
Troops of Operation ENDURING PEACE (OPEP) have recorded a major breakthrough in the fight against illegal arms proliferation with the arrest of a suspected high-profile arms trafficker believed to be operating an interstate weapons supply network in Plateau State.
The suspect, identified as Danjuma Yusuf, a dismissed Inspector of the Nigeria Police Force, was apprehended during an intelligence-led operation conducted by troops of Sector 6 in collaboration with Headquarters Operation ENDURING PEACE.
Military authorities disclosed that the operation followed credible intelligence reports on the movement of illicit arms across state boundaries. Acting on the information, troops placed the suspect under surveillance as he travelled in a white Peugeot vehicle from Jos South towards the Makera axis in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State.
He was intercepted at a military checkpoint in Makera on Sunday, June 14, 2026, and a subsequent search of the vehicle led to the recovery of two locally fabricated pistols, 167 rounds of 9mm ammunition, three cans of pepper spray and a jack knife.
Other items recovered from the suspect included two mobile phones, two cutlasses, a police staff identification tag, photographs showing him in police uniform, two Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards, a National Identification Number (NIN) card and cash amounting to N73,300.
According to preliminary investigations, Yusuf was formerly attached to Police Base 7 in Abuja before his dismissal from service. Security sources further revealed that intelligence gathered so far points to his alleged involvement as a key player in an interstate arms trafficking syndicate.
The suspect is believed to have supplied weapons to criminal groups engaged in terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes across parts of the country.
Military authorities said Yusuf is currently in custody and undergoing further interrogation aimed at dismantling the wider criminal network, including identifying his associates, financiers and weapons supply channels.
The arrest, according to the military, represents a significant setback for illegal arms trafficking operations and highlights the effectiveness of ongoing intelligence-driven security operations targeted at curbing the proliferation of illicit weapons.
The Nigerian Army reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with other security agencies to safeguard lives and property while sustaining offensive operations against criminal elements threatening national security.
The military also appealed to members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information that would assist security forces in dismantling criminal networks and restoring lasting peace across the country.
