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The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has arrested a former immigration officer for allegedly attempting to sell sophisticated firearms to bandits operating in the Abuja-Kaduna forests.
The Guardian learnt that the officer, whose identity is being withheld, was apprehended during an intelligence-led operation by the police.
Addressing journalists in Abuja yesterday, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, said the operation thwarted the delivery of weapons to criminal elements, who he noted could have used them to wreak havoc.
He said: “Acting on intelligence, the command intercepted these firearms from a dismissed immigration officer attempting to sell them to bandits terrorising the Abuja-Kaduna forest. The intelligence was timely, and the weapons were intercepted before the delivery could be completed.
“Among the recovered firearms was a Scorpion CZ EVO3, a highly advanced, fully automatic weapon with an inbuilt silencer. This is the 2022 model of the Scorpion series, capable of functioning in single, automatic, or burst mode. It is a sophisticated firearm, and its magazine can hold between 20 to 30 rounds, depending on the configuration.
“We also recovered 52 rounds of ammunition, which could have posed a severe threat had they reached the criminals.”
Disu further disclosed that 300 suspects had been arrested in the FCT between January 1 and February 28, 2025.
He said: “In its sustained efforts to rid the Federal Capital Territory of crime, the FCT Police Command has intensified its operations, conducting a series of high-impact raids from January 1 to February 28, 2025.
“These actions, driven by intelligence and executed with tactical precision, have led to the arrest of 300 suspects and the recovery of a significant cache of arms, ammunition, and illicit substances.
“During the period under review, 59 armed robbers and 10 kidnappers, along with their informants, were arrested. Also, nine armed robbers and seven kidnappers were neutralised, while 16 cultists were apprehended.”
The commissioner added that targeted raids and clearance operations had been carried out in identified criminal hideout.
