By Odita Sunday
In a major breakthrough against organised crime, troops of the Nigerian Army’s 6 Division have dismantled notorious gunrunning syndicates funneling dangerous weapons into the Niger Delta. The intelligence-led operations, which cut across Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, and Bayelsa States, also saw the arrest of 35 suspects linked to arms trafficking, oil theft, and sundry crimes.
Army spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, said the syndicates were “key enablers of violent criminality across the region,” supplying firearms to cult groups, kidnappers, and oil thieves.
Among those arrested were identified gunrunners: Innocent Emiyemokumo Deidei (alias Sele Bobo), Godknows Alabor Avor, and Godwin Osik. The Army said they were caught through “painstaking intelligence-driven operations,” leading to the recovery of two English pistols, four locally fabricated pistols, and a double-barrel gun.
“These criminals have for long used the Niger Delta corridor to discreetly move small arms and light weapons. With their arrest, we have disrupted a major artery of illegal arms supply,” Lt. Col. Danjuma stressed.
He noted that beyond arms trafficking, troops intensified their ongoing offensive against oil theft. Between August 25 and September 7, six illegal refining sites were destroyed, while thousands of litres of stolen crude oil and refined products were seized.
According to him, in Rivers State, the soldiers struck hard at multiple hotspots. At Degema, two refining sites were deactivated, with 7,500 litres of stolen crude and AGO recovered. “In Emohua, troops caught a suspect red-handed while bagging 1,800 litres of crude in sacks. At Abacheke Community, near the Rivers–Imo border, 1,750 litres of illegally refined AGO were intercepted along with a motorcycle and a mobile phone. A Mitsubishi Hilux laden with 12 sacks of stolen AGO was also seized in Omoku, though its driver fled.
”In Delta State, Warri South troops discovered a refining camp with two cooking pots and 1,050 litres of AGO, while in Akwa Ibom, a red mini bus (ABK 398XA) ferrying 750 litres of stolen AGO was impounded. Another raid in Abak uncovered 21 jerricans of AGO alongside storage drums.
“Our troops remain resilient, dominating both waterways and hinterlands in Bayelsa and other states, effectively denying criminals freedom of action,” Danjuma declared.
Residents across the region have hailed the crackdown, with a community leader in Abacheke saying, “For years, these oil thieves have polluted our land and emboldened criminals with arms. We now have a sense of relief seeing the Army take this firm action.”
The Army has since handed over all arrested suspects and recovered items to relevant authorities for prosecution, reaffirming its commitment to restoring peace and order in the Niger Delta.