An alleged weapons racket inside the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has been exposed, with personnel accused of diverting service rifles and selling them to illegal arms dealers.
The NSCDC said its Commandant-General’s Special Intelligence Squad (CG’s SIS) uncovered the alleged arms deals and arrested personnel linked to the diversion of weapons.
The Corps spokesperson, Babawale Afolabi, disclosed this on Friday while briefing journalists in Abuja.
According to him, one NSCDC personnel at the Corps’ headquarters allegedly removed an AK-47 rifle from his duty post after his shift instead of returning it to the armoury.
Investigators reportedly discovered that the officer concealed the rifle in two polythene bags, abandoned his duty post without authorisation and travelled with the weapon to Otukpo, Benue State.
The rifle was allegedly handed over to a buyer in Otukpo for N700,000, after which the buyer reportedly resold it to an illicit arms dealer identified as IBB for N800,000.
Afolabi said the suspect allegedly attempted to cover his tracks when questioned about the missing rifle and even tried to sign out another weapon.
However, covert tracking, surveillance and tactical interrogation by the intelligence squad reportedly blew the operation open.
The AK-47 was eventually recovered, while the principal suspects were arrested.
Two G3 Rifles ‘Sold From Armoury’
In another shocking case, the CG’s SIS reportedly uncovered the alleged diversion of two G3 rifles from an NSCDC armoury in Adamawa State between 2018 and 2024.
A senior personnel who allegedly served as head of the armoury was accused of removing the rifles without authorisation and selling them separately to junior personnel for N210,000 and N220,000.
The rifles were subsequently allegedly resold to a civilian.
Investigators also uncovered an alleged attempt to erase the weapons from the armoury records.
The senior officer was accused of falsifying weekly stock records after physical checks by an assistant revealed that the rifles were missing.
The serial numbers of the allegedly missing weapons were reportedly handwritten into the register to create the impression that the rifles were still safely kept inside the armoury.
According to Afolabi, the intelligence operation eventually exposed the alleged scheme and investigators obtained confessional and other statements from key suspects.
He said internal disciplinary proceedings against erring personnel had been concluded.
The NSCDC Commandant-General, Ahmed Audi, has consequently directed the Corps’ Directorate of Legal Services to commence prosecution of the suspects in courts of competent jurisdiction.
Telecom Vandals Also Busted
The CG’s SIS also reportedly dealt another blow to a suspected telecommunications vandalism syndicate.
Afolabi said one suspect was intercepted while allegedly attempting to cart away 12 telecommunications panels removed from a vandalised equipment cabinet.
Investigators reportedly discovered that the suspected vandalism and theft operation had been running for some time and was allegedly motivated by financial gain.
The NSCDC said it was seeking a 60-day remand order, alongside search and arrest warrants, to enable investigators track down fleeing members of the syndicate believed to be operating across Delta and Kano states.
The Corps said the latest operations form part of renewed efforts to tighten armoury controls and prevent service weapons from finding their way into the hands of criminals.
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