Information reaching IgbereTV news shows that The Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Police Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB) arrested two men suspected of supplying weapons of war to hoodlums in Nigeria’s eastern region
For over two months, the FIB-IRT has been on the trail of a network of illegal arms dealers based on credible intelligence. They transport weapons and ammunition from the country’s north to the country’s east.
DCP Olatunji Disu, Commander IRT, told the press that “this is a new method of transferring illegal arms from one place to another to ensure they beat security without being discovered.”
Babong Audu, a 35-year-old native of Namu village in Plateau State’s Qua’anpan Local Government Area, sells illegal weapons. He was transporting an order of illegal arms to Anambra for some criminal elements when the shipment was intercepted by FIB-IRT agents.
Chimezie Okolie, a 44-year-old native of Anambra State’s Ehembosi village, had contracted Babong to supply him with the weapons in exchange for N575,000 on April 26, 2022.
Babong had purchased a bag of beans, repackaged them, and concealed the weapons inside them on purpose in order to avoid detection while transporting the weapons at night. Before being arrested, he had arrived at the Namu Motor Park on Assakiyo-Namu Road in Lafia, Nasarawa State, and had loaded the bag of beans onto a commercial J5 bus for onward transportation to Nasarawa State, where the receiver, Chimezie, was waiting to take delivery.
The IRT operatives recovered two AK47 rifles, 53 live ammunition, four AK47 magazines, and a bag of beans. Further investigation led to the arrest of Chimezie in Jos. Both suspects admitted to the crime.
The Inspector General of Police, Alkali Baba, has also charged all police officers across the country with doing more to check arms dealers selling illegal weapons to criminal gangs, rebels, and terrorists in order to discourage the black market for illegal sales of arms and ammunition in Nigeria.
He also advised transporters and the general public to be more vigilant and to report any suspicious activity to the police as soon as possible.
The photos above shows illegal arms and ammunition supplies from North to South-East
