The troops involved in Operation Hadin Kai have apprehended 18 active soldiers and 15 policemen for allegedly selling arms to non-state actors.
Major Ademola Owolana, Staff Officer Grade Two of OPHK, made this announcement while briefing defence correspondents about the activities of the Joint Task Force in North-East Nigeria from 2024 to 2025 in Maiduguri.
He noted that significant successes were achieved under Operation Snowball, which was launched in August 2024 to combat ammunition trafficking in the region.
Major Owolana stated that operations were carried out across 11 states, with suspects arrested in Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Ebonyi, Enugu, Lagos, Plateau, Kaduna, Rivers, Taraba, and the Federal Capital Territory.
“To date, a total of 18 soldiers, 15 mobile policemen, and 8 civilians, including a traditional leader, have been arrested.
“Preliminary findings from the ongoing investigation suggest that community pressure on serving security personnel to provide arms and ammunition for local conflicts is a significant factor,” he explained.
He emphasised that the “profitable nature of arms trading is also a contributing factor to its continuation”.
Major Owolana mentioned that one Sergeant Ameh Raphael, an armourer with the 7th Division Garrison, who has been in the trade since 2018, and Sergeant Seidi Adamu from the 3rd Division Ordnance Services, who has been involved since 2022, had amassed over £45 million and £34 million respectively in their accounts.
He further disclosed that an astonishing sum of £135 million was traced through the account of a policeman named Inspector Enoch Ngwa, who was arrested for arms trafficking.
“To this end, stricter penalties are essential to serve as a deterrent,” he added.
In further comments, he indicated that the theatre has made significant progress in combating terrorist logistics suppliers and collaborators.
“From January 2025 to the present, over 186 terrorist logistics suppliers, spies, and collaborators have been apprehended across the operational theatre,” he reported.
He also raised concerns about the proliferation of drugs and narcotics, which enhance the operational capabilities of terrorists.
To combat this threat, the Joint Intelligence Mission Centre, military intelligence units, and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intensified efforts to disrupt these networks.
“However, the absence of tracking devices continues to hinder the apprehension of logistics suppliers,” he added.
Owolana expressed concern regarding some non-governmental organisations, which he accused of transporting food items and additives to terrorist locations under the guise of humanitarian aid.
He lamented the activities of fifth columnists, which undermine the overall success of Operation Hadin Kai.
“Additionally, a number of soldiers, driven by greed, are involved in ammunition trafficking, deliberately diverting arms from military stockpiles and supply chains to terrorists. Such actions erode battlefield morale, diminish troop effectiveness, and bolster enemy resistance.
“The latest incident occurred on 24th February this year, when a soldier from the 144 Battalion was arrested with 30 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition at Tashin-Karo Kano during a military police K-19 route search operation.
“As a result, the theatre has repeatedly cautioned troops at all levels about the severe consequences and penalties associated with ammunition trafficking. Those found guilty have been dismissed and handed over to the police as a deterrent,” he stated.
Highlighting the theatre’s achievements, Owolana recalled that in May 2024, terrorists issued a vacation order, resulting in a mass exodus of civilians from Kukawa town.
However, Operation Hadin Kai subsequently issued an operational order for stabilisation, mobilising seven excavators, and constructing watchtowers, surveillance masts, and barricades.
He reported that this operation successfully facilitated the return of over 10,000 locals to their ancestral homes.
According to Owolana, troops from Operation Hadin Kai have killed 694 terrorists and recovered 603 assault weapons, 56 RPG bombs, 16 mortar bombs, 147,137 units of anti-aircraft weapons, and 16 pick-up vehicles, among other items.
He also mentioned that the Joint Task Force has recorded over 12 drone incidents since 2004.
As a countermeasure, the Nigerian Army established the Nigerian Army’s Unmanned Aerial Base Command in 2022, which has continued to play a vital role in supporting ongoing operations across the theatre.
“The command has completed 1,138 intelligence surveillance reconnaissance missions, totalling 10,033 flight hours,” he said.
