Troops under Operation Hadin Kai have arrested 33 serving security personnel including 18 soldiers and 15 mobile policemen for allegedly engaging in arms trafficking to non-state actors.
The arrests were made as part of Operation Snowball, a special counter-ammunition operation launched in August 2024 to stem the flow of illicit arms in the North-East.
Briefing defence correspondents in Maiduguri on the progress of the operation, Major Ademola Owolana, Staff Officer Grade Two, disclosed that arrests were made across 11 states including Borno, Bauchi, Benue, Ebonyi, Enugu, Lagos, Plateau, Kaduna, Taraba, Rivers, and the Federal Capital Territory.
Among those arrested were eight civilians, including a traditional ruler, suspected of aiding the illicit trade.
Preliminary investigations, according to Owolana, indicate that some security personnel were pressured by their communities to supply weapons for local conflicts, while others were driven by the financial gains from arms sales.
“The lucrative nature of ammunition trading remains a significant motivation,” Owolana said, citing investigations that revealed large sums in the bank accounts of suspects.
A notable example is Sgt. Ameh Raphael, an armourer with the 7th Division Garrison, who reportedly amassed ₦45 million from the illegal trade since 2018.
Another, Sgt. Seidi Adamu of the 3rd Division Ordnance Services, was found with ₦34 million in related earnings.
Meanwhile, Inspector Enoch Ngwa, a mobile policeman, allegedly handled ₦135 million linked to arms racketeering.
“These figures underscore the scale of the problem. Stronger punitive measures are essential to serve as deterrents,” Owolana added.
Beyond arms trafficking, the task force has intensified efforts against terrorist logistics and intelligence networks. From January to date, over 186 collaborators, informants, and logistics suppliers linked to insurgent groups have been apprehended.
Owolana also raised alarms over the growing role of drug abuse among terrorists, which he said enhances their combat capabilities.
In response, Operation Hadin Kai is collaborating with the Joint Intelligence Mission Centre, military intelligence, and the NDLEA to disrupt narcotics supply chains. However, he lamented the lack of tracking technology, which hampers the full effectiveness of these efforts.
The military also expressed concern over the involvement of some NGOs accused of smuggling food and additives to terrorists under the guise of humanitarian aid.
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“We are also contending with fifth columnists and a few rogue soldiers who divert arms from military stockpiles to insurgents, weakening frontline operations,” Owolana noted.
He cited a recent case on February 24, where a soldier from the 144 Battalion was arrested with 30 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition during a routine search at Tashin-Karo, Kano.
Such cases, he said, are met with immediate dismissal and handover to the police for prosecution.
Despite these challenges, Major Owolana highlighted several successes of Operation Hadin Kai.
Following a terrorist issued vacation order in May 2024 that forced residents out of Kukawa town, troops launched a stabilisation mission.
This included constructing watchtowers, surveillance masts, and barricades, and deploying seven excavators, leading to the safe return of over 10,000 displaced persons to their ancestral homes.
In combat operations, troops have killed 694 terrorists, recovered 603 assault rifles, 56 RPG bombs, 16 mortar bombs, over 147,000 anti-aircraft rounds, and seized 16 vehicles.
He also noted that the theatre has faced 12 drone-related incidents since 2004.
In response, the Nigerian Army’s Unmanned Aerial Base Command, established in 2022, has played a crucial role.
The unit has conducted 1,138 surveillance and reconnaissance missions, totaling over 10,000 flight hours in support of operations across the North-East.
Owolana reaffirmed the military’s commitment to restoring peace and security in the region, while holding accountable those who undermine national efforts through corruption or collusion with enemies of the state.
