- Urges govt to probe Army officer’s involvement in gun running
From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The Ijaw Youths Network has commended the Department of State Services for the seizure of 57 AK-47s, other rifles, and hundreds of ammunition in Asaba, Delta.
The IYN also said that the arrest of a Delta State-born UK army Major and others in connection with the gun running reinforces public trust and confidence in the nation’s secret service and its commitment to national security.
The IYN Coordinator, Frank Ebikabo, and Secretary, Federal Ebiaridor, in a statement made available to newsmen in Yenagoa, commended the Director General of the DSS, Mr Adeola Ajayi, and his men for combining proactiveness with an astounding display of professionalism to prevent mindless bloodletting in Warri.
“We hereby commend the Director General of the DSS, Adeola Ajayi, and the operatives of the service, whose alertness and painstaking investigation led to the arrest of the UK Army Major and the seizure of the arms and ammunition involved.
“What the DSS has forestalled is a vile attempt to foist a dangerous regime of inter-ethnic violence on Warri and its environs.
“We hold the view that the agency deserves commendation as the magnitude of violence and destruction that 57 AK-47s in the wrong hands can cause is better imagined,” they said.
The IYN leadership urged the leadership of the DSS to ensure a holistic investigation of those behind the botched attempt to return Warri to the days of violence because of disenchantment over the INEC ward delineation exercise in the Warri Federal Constituency.
They urged the DSS to be consistent with the good work they have done by bringing to justice all those involved in the crime, including the UK Army Major.
The IYN said that disagreements over issues should be resolved through dialogue rather than resorting to ethnic-inspired violence.
The IYN also called on the British High Commission in Nigeria to treat a petition sent to it on the involvement of a UK military officer with the required sense of urgency.
Ebikabo and Ebiaridor said it is disheartening that a high-ranking military officer could be linked to a failed attempt to stoke an avoidable crisis in Nigeria.
They urged the UK Government to clarify the status of the said Major, whose actions have become glaringly inimical to the good image of the UK military.
They urged the inhabitants of the Warri Federal Constituency, Ijaws, Urhobo, and Itsekiri, to be wary of people with dangerous and sinister intentions to start ethnic violence in the city.
Meanwhile, a coalition of civil society organizations in Nigeria has called on the British Government to partner with the Federal Government to investigate the activities of the Major arrested over alleged illegal arms procurement intended to exacerbate tensions in Delta State.
This was contained in a letter addressed to the British High Commissioner in Nigeria dated April 28, 2025.
The letter was jointly signed by Dr. Nwambu Gabriel, Leader of the coalition; Zekeri Momoh-Saliu, Secretary; Mohammed Idris, Member; and Hugo Okafor, Member said the officer’s action is a threat to Nigeria’s democracy.