THE troops of Operation Hadin Kai have arrested 18 serving soldiers, 15 Policemen for allegedly selling arms to non-state actors.
The Staff Officer Grade two OPHK, Major Ademola Owolana, stated this while briefing Defence Correspondents on the activities of the Joint Tax Force North-East operation from 2024 to 2025 in Maiduguri.
He said the successes were recorded under Operation Snowball which was launched in August 2024 to counter-ammunition racketeering in the theatre.
He said the operation was being conducted across 11 states with suspects arrested in Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Ebonyi, Enugu, Lagos, Plateau, Kaduna, Rivers, Taraba and the Federal Capital Territory.
“So far, a total of 18 soldiers, 15 mobile policemen, and 8 civilians, including a traditional ruler have been arrested.
“Preliminary findings from ongoing investigation reveals community pressure on serving security personnel to supply arms and ammunition for communal conflicts as driving factors,” he said.
He emphasised that the “lucrative nature of trading in ammunition is also a driving factor for its persistence”.
Major Owolana said one Sgt. Ameh Raphael, an armourer of 7th Division Garrison, who has been in the trade since 2018, and Sgt. Seidi Adamu of 3rd Division Ordnance Services, who has also been in the trade since 2022, had over N45 million and N34 million respectively in their accounts.
He disclosed that investigation also revealed that a whooping sum of N135 million was discovered to have passed through the account of a policeman identified as Insp. Enoch Ngwa who was arrested for arms racketeering.
“To this end, a more stringent punishment is necessary to act as deterrent,” he added.
Speaking further, he said the Theatre also recovered significant progress in the fight against terrorists’ logistics suppliers and collaborators.
“From January 2025 to the date, over 186 terrorist logistics suppliers, spies and collaborators have been arrested across the theatre of operation,” he disclosed.
Speaking further, the Command expressed concern over the proliferation of drugs and narcotics, which enhances terrorist operational capabilities.
He said to counter this threat, the Joint Intelligence Mission Centre, military intelligence base, and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intensified efforts to disrupt these networks.
“However, a lack of tracking device has continued to mitigate the arrest of logistic suppliers”.
Owolana also expressed concern in cases of collusion by some non-governmental organisations, who he accused of conveying additives and food items to terrorist locations under the guise of humanitarian assistance.
He further lamented the activities of fifth columnists undermining the overall success of Operation Hadin Kai.
“Additionally, a few soldiers motivated by greed are involved in ammunitions racketeering, deliberately diverting arms from the military stockpiles and supply chains to terrorists. Such actions erode battlefield morale, reduce troops’ effectiveness, and strengthen enemy resistance.
“The most recent incident occurred on 24th February this year when a soldier of 144 Battalion, was arrested with 30 rounds of 7.62mm specials at Tashin-Karo Kano by a military police K-19 on route search operations.
“Consequently, the theatre has continued to warn troops at all levels on the severe repercussions and sanctions of ammunition racketeering.
“Those found culpable have been dismissed and handed over to the police to serve as deterrent,” he said.
Highlighting the Theatre’s achievements, Owolana recalled that terrorists in May 2024, issued a vacation order, leading to a mass exodus of civilians in Kukawa town.
However, the operation Hadin Kai subsequently issued an operational order for stabilisation operation mobilising seven excavators, construction of watch towers, surveillance masts and barricades.
He said that the operation successfully led to the return of over 10,000 locals to their ancestral homes.
According to Owolana, troops of Operation Hadin Kai killed 694 terrorists, and recovered 603 assault weapons,56 RPG bombs,16 mortar bombs, 147,137 units of anti-aircraft weapons, 16 pick-up vehicles, among others.
He further said the Joint Task Force has recorded over 12 drone incidents since 2004 to date.
He revealed that as a counter measure, the Nigerian Army in 2022 established the Nigerian Army’s Unmanned Aerial Base Command which has continued to play a vital role in support of ongoing operations across the theatre.
“The command has carried out 1,138 intelligence surveillance reconnaissance missions, covering a total time of 10,033 flight hours,” he said.