The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has arrested a personnel allegedly involved in the diversion and illegal sale of service rifles.
The Punch reported that the NSCDC spokesperson, Babawale Afolabi, disclosed this on Friday while briefing journalists in Abuja on the outcome of investigations by the Commandant-General’s Special Intelligence Squad.
Afolabi said the intelligence operation, led by Commander Dandaura Appollos, resulted in the arrest of a personnel at the corps’ headquarters who was allegedly complicit in the illegal transaction.
According to him, the suspect allegedly took an AK-47 rifle away from his duty post after completing his shift instead of returning it to the armoury.
He said the investigation showed that the personnel concealed the weapon in two polythene bags, left his duty post without authorisation and transported the rifle to Otukpo, Benue State.
“The investigation revealed that the officer subsequently delivered the rifle to someone in Otukpo under a prior arrangement for N700,000 Naira,” he said.
Afolabi added that the buyer allegedly resold the weapon to an illicit arms dealer identified as IBB for N800,000.
He further said the principal suspect allegedly attempted to cover up the disappearance of the rifle when questioned and tried to sign out another weapon.
“Through covert tracking, surveillance and tactical interrogation, the intelligence team apprehended the principal suspects and recovered the AK-47 rifle,” he said.
The NSCDC spokesperson disclosed that a separate investigation uncovered the alleged diversion of two G3 rifles from an armoury in the Adamawa State Command between 2018 and 2024.
He said the case involved a personnel who allegedly served as the head of the armoury and was accused of removing the rifles from the store without authorisation before selling them to junior personnel in separate transactions.
According to Afolabi, the rifles were allegedly sold for N210,000 and N220,000 respectively and were later resold to a civilian.
“The investigation further revealed that the personnel allegedly resold the rifles to a civilian.
“To conceal the alleged disappearance of the firearms during routine stocktaking, the senior officer reportedly falsified weekly armoury records.
“After physical counting of available weapons by his assistant, he allegedly altered the register by handwriting the serial numbers of the missing rifles into the stock records.
“The manipulation allegedly created the impression that the firearms remained physically present in the armoury,” he said.
Afolabi said the investigation by the CG’s SIS exposed the alleged scheme and resulted in the recovery of confessional and other evidentiary statements from key individuals.
He said the development demonstrated the corps’ renewed commitment to strengthening accountability in the management of its armouries and preventing service weapons from getting into the hands of criminals.
“Internal disciplinary procedures against errant officers have been concluded.
“The NSCDC Commandant General, Ahmed Audi, has directed the Directorate of Legal Services (DLS) to immediately institute legal proceedings against all suspects across these four segments in courts of competent jurisdiction,” he said.
In another operation, Afolabi said the intelligence squad also intercepted a syndicate allegedly involved in the vandalism and theft of telecommunications infrastructure.
He said one suspect was arrested while allegedly attempting to remove 12 vandalised telecommunication panels from an equipment cabinet.
According to him, preliminary findings indicated that the syndicate had been involved in the vandalism and theft of telecommunications equipment for financial gain for an extended period.
“The NSCDC DLS is currently securing a 60-day remand order alongside search and arrest warrants to enable the CG’s SIS apprehend the fleeing syndicate members across Delta and Kano states,” he said.
