Security Breach: Ex-Immigration Official Nabbed for Allegedly Supplying Weapons to FCT Bandits

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has apprehended a dismissed immigration officer attempting to sell sophisticated firearms to bandits operating in the Abuja-Kaduna forests.

The suspect, whose identity was not disclosed, was arrested during an intelligence-led operation conducted by the police.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, Mustafa Mohammed, the head of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, stated that the swift intervention prevented the firearms from reaching criminal elements.

“Acting on credible intelligence, the command intercepted these weapons from a dismissed immigration officer who was attempting to sell them to bandits terrorizing the Abuja-Kaduna forest. The operation was carried out just in time, preventing the arms from being delivered,” Mohammed explained.

Among the seized weapons was a Scorpion CZ EVO3, an advanced fully automatic firearm equipped with a built-in silencer.

“This is the latest 2022 model of the Scorpion series. It has single, automatic, and burst firing modes, with a magazine capacity of 20 to 30 rounds, depending on the configuration. Additionally, we recovered 52 rounds of ammunition, which could have posed a serious threat had they ended up in the wrong hands,” he added.

Meanwhile, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Tunji Disu, disclosed that between January 1 and February 28, 2025, a total of 300 suspects were arrested in a series of high-impact raids aimed at combating crime in the FCT.

Disu revealed that these operations led to the arrest of 59 armed robbers, 10 kidnappers and their informants, and 16 suspected cultists. Additionally, nine armed robbers and seven kidnappers were neutralized.

He further stated that targeted raids were carried out in identified criminal hideouts across the FCT, including areas such as Dei-Dei, Karu, Gwarinpa, Jikwoyi, Karimo, and Maitama.

“Abandoned buildings frequently used as hideouts for criminal activities have also been identified and will remain under continuous surveillance and targeted operations,” Disu assured.