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The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has uncovered an alleged arms diversion network involving some of its personnel, leading to the arrest of suspects accused of stealing and selling service rifles.
NSCDC spokesperson, Babawale Afolabi, disclosed this on Friday while briefing journalists in Abuja, saying the operation was carried out by the Commandant-General's Special Intelligence Squad (CG's SIS) led by Commander Dandaura Appollos.
According to Afolabi, one of the arrested officers, attached to the NSCDC headquarters, allegedly removed an AK-47 rifle from his duty post after completing his shift instead of returning it to the armoury.
Investigators said the suspect concealed the weapon in two polythene bags, left his duty post without authorisation and transported the rifle to Otukpo, Benue State, where he allegedly sold it for N700,000 under a pre-arranged deal.
The buyer was said to have resold the rifle to an alleged illicit arms dealer identified as IBB for N800,000.
Afolabi said the suspect initially attempted to cover up the missing weapon and allegedly tried to sign out another rifle before intelligence operatives tracked and arrested those involved, recovering the AK-47.
In a separate investigation, the NSCDC uncovered the alleged diversion of two G3 rifles from the corps' armoury in Adamawa State between 2018 and 2024.
The spokesperson alleged that a senior officer, who served as head of the armoury during the period, secretly removed the rifles and sold them to junior personnel for N210,000 and N220,000 respectively.
The rifles were later allegedly resold to a civilian, while the senior officer was accused of falsifying armoury records to conceal the disappearance of the weapons by inserting their serial numbers into stock registers during routine inspections.
Afolabi said the investigation exposed the scheme and yielded confessional statements and other evidence from those implicated.
He said the breakthrough demonstrated the corps' renewed commitment to strengthening armoury accountability and preventing service weapons from falling into the hands of criminals.
According to him, internal disciplinary procedures against the officers have been concluded, while the Commandant-General, Ahmed Audi, has directed the Directorate of Legal Services to immediately prosecute all suspects in courts of competent jurisdiction.
The NSCDC also announced the arrest of a suspected telecommunications vandal during a separate operation.
Afolabi said the suspect was caught while attempting to cart away 12 telecommunications panels removed from an equipment cabinet, adding that investigations indicated the vandalism and theft had been ongoing for some time.
He said the Directorate of Legal Services is seeking a 60-day remand order, as well as search and arrest warrants, to enable investigators apprehend other fleeing members of the syndicate operating in Delta and Kano states.
